The Long Road Back
by ShanghaiLily
Summary: Sequel to "What a Long Strange Trip it's Been". J/H are together, but with Hyde's mysterious illness they may not have long. The gang falls into the world of cartels, marijuana clinics & 80's dance clubs! Adventure, humor, romance & major plot twists. For E/D fans too. Rated T w/ a few M scenes that're marked w/ alerts. EPILOGUE IS UP! Read & Review Please-guests welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everybody! If you're coming here from my last fic, then welcome back! ****The story picks up where "What a Long Strange Trip it's Been" leaves off: ****s/8099492/1/What_a_Long_Strange_Trip_its_Been**

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**This fic will focus on the J/H and D/E relationships, but will also have many bonding scenes between J/D and E/H.**

**.**

**Though it's a continuation of the last fic, I made these different stories ****because they're so different in tone that they really belong in different docs.**

**The order of the three stores chronologically is "Everybody Must Get Stoned" then "What a Long Strange Trip it's Been" and then "The Long Road Back", though I would suggest you read Stoned last.**

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**Disclaimer- In case you couldn't figure it out, I do not own That 70's Show!**

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**CHAPTER 1**

.

Jackie's feet barely touch the ground as she walks down the longest hallway of her life. She knows she's walking, she can hear the click of her heels making contact with the cheap linoleum floors, but her body seems suspended in a thick primordial goo that creates friction and weight and makes it hard for her to move her limbs properly.

.

All she can think about as she sludges through the otherworldy plasma towards her target is Steven's face and how he can always say so much to her with just one look. His face betrayed the real truth the first time they kissed on the hood of the El Camino and he claimed he felt nothing for her. All he needed to do was shoot an eyebrow up in her direction and she knew he wanted to be together that Summer everybody left. Even in painful moments, like when he told her about the nurse he had a one-nighter with, she could see it all over his expression before he even opened his mouth.

.

What would his face tell her now?

.

Donna slips her arm around Jackie's waist. "You're looking a bit pale," she says, trying to help without disturbing her.

.

Jackie just nods blankly and accepts Donna's help walking.

.

As they approach Hyde's room, Eric hears them and pokes his head out. Though he's trying to soften it, the expression on his face is grave. Donna's seen this look a few times before. She saw it when Red had a heart attack and that time when she wouldn't accept his ring. This can't be good. She slows down her pace with Jackie hoping to keep her world in tact for just a few seconds longer.

.

Eric meets them outside and embraces Jackie with fervor and empathy. Confused, Jackie's arms go stiff as she bears the duration of his long hug.

.

The sight of Eric hugging Jackie with such intensity makes Donna choke up, because she figures that things must be really dire if he's showing her such unprompted kindness.

.

Though Jackie is slight, her big personality has always made people forget all about her size. Seeing her like this though, broken, Eric feels like he's looking into the eyes of a child. "Hyde is alive," Eric starts as Jackie whole body relaxes at once. "He got dizzy at the bar and passed out and he hit his head on the floor pretty hard."

.

"Why did he get dizzy?" Donna asks, voicing the questions that Jackie is unable to bring herself to speak.

.

"They don't know yet. They're running tests," Eric says vaguely. "You should know though, that he's on an oxygen mask".

.

Jackie's knees go a bit weak at this news and Donna bears her weight. "It's okay. I'm sure it just looks worse than it is," she tries to assure her.

.

"Can I see him? " Jackie asks in a low whisper.

.

Eric puts his hand on the door. "Yeah, of course. I mean, he hasn't woken up yet, but I'm sure he'd want that."

.

* * *

.

Jackie walks into the hospital room and is overcome by the multitude of sounds - the beeping of the heart monitor, the rhythmic shushing sound of the oxygen, the hum of the florescent lights above. She feels as if she's exploring another planet, especially because this life form before her doesn't seem like her Steven.

.

The entire time she's known him, Steven has always been the strongest person she'd ever met—both physically and mentally. To see him so debilitated is hard, especially because she knows he'd be mortified by anybody seeing him in such a state.

.

She quietly sits in the chair by the bed and watches him, unable to bring herself to touch him at all.

.

"Why don't you hold his hand?" Donna suggests from the doorway.

.

Jackie looks up at her as if her friend were speaking a different language she didn't quite understand.

.

Sensing Jackie's hesitation, Donna walks over to Hyde, uncovers his hand from the sheets and places it in Jackie's hand.

.

Jackie looks down at the foreign object in her hand and starts to weep, the situation finally registering in her brain.

.

Donna holds her for about ten minutes until she's all cried out, after which Jackie straightens herself up, wipes the tears off on the back of her hand and puts on her game face.

.

"Okay, where's the doctor?" she says determined to figure out what's wrong with her man and how to fix him.

.

"I'll tell Eric to get him for you," Donna says as she leaps up and heads towards the hallway.

.

Jackie takes Hyde's hand in her own again and bring it to her lips. "I know you said you wanted to piss me off for the next 50 years, but did you have to start so soon?" she sighs into his hand.

.

* * *

.

In the hallway, Eric envelops Donna in his arms as she burrows her head into his neck. "Jackie is a wreck," she says as she pulls herself closer to her husband.

.

"I'm pretty much a wreck too," Eric says as he strokes Donna's hair.

.

"She wants to see the doctor," she says.

.

"I already asked him to swing by to talk to her," Eric assures her.

.

"Was Angie able to reach your parents in Florida?" Donna wonders.

.

"She was. They're on the first flight out tomorrow," he says, "W.B too".

.

"Man, my dad is going to be so sad. He was really bummed out to have missed Luke's ceremony, and now that his leg has finally healed he's going to miss seeing Red and Kitty too," she says with empathy.

.

"I think your dad is coming with them," Eric says.

.

Donna rests her hand on her belly."Oh, then Eric, I have something I really need to tell you," she starts, knowing this is probably not the right time.

.

Eric looks down on his wife and furrows his brow, "What's wrong?"

.

Just then, Hyde's doctor shows up and brushes past them into the hospital room.

.

* * *

.

Jackie is sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, stroking Steven's hair with one hand and holding his hand with the other.

.

"Miss Burkhart?" the doctor queries.

.

"That's me," she says sadly.

.

"I've got some mixed news," he levels at her.

.

"Good news first, please," she requests bravely.

.

"The good news – and this is really good - is that Mr. Hyde's brain functioning appears to be normal, so he didn't sustain any brain damage from the fall or the lack of oxygen when he blacked out," he says.

.

Jackie closes her eyes and breathes deeply, letting the news sink in. "Okay, now the bad news," she requests as she steels her resolve.

.

"We've noticed some odd metabolic functioning, which we think is probably related to his current state," he says.

.

"What do you mean exactly?" she presses.

.

"I can't really go into details, because I'm not allowed by law to discuss the specifics with anybody but a blood relative or his wife," he says sympathetically.

.

"But I am his wife!" she says desperately, "and he doesn't have many blood relatives".

.

"Unfortunately, you're not legally married yet, so I can't discuss his case specifics. Does he have parents I can call?" the doctor offers.

.

"His father lives in New York," she says, demoralized. "What about his sister? Could you talk to his sister?" Jackie asks hopefully.

.

"Have her get in touch with me," he says. "I'll stop by later on my rounds".

.

With that, the doctor walks out of the office.

.

Donna and Eric filter in.

.

"What did he say?" Donna asks, desperate for information.

.

"He said he can't tell me anything because I'm not a relative," Jackie looks down.

.

"That's such bullshit! I'm going to go talk to him," Donna starts to leave the room, but Eric catches her with his arm.

.

"Hey, it's not the doctor's fault. Angie is due by any minute. Let's just have her talk to the doctor and we can get information that way," he suggests.

.

"You're right," she says, trying to regain control for Jackie's sake.

.

Eric's forehead creases as he's lost in thought, "Hey, did you have something you wanted to tell me before?"

.

Donna looks over and Jackie, who has now curled up in bed next to Hyde.

.

"It can wait," she says. "I should check on the babysitter. Can you stay here with Jackie?"

.

Eric nods and has a seat in the vacant visitors chair.

.

"He's going to be okay," Eric says, trying to convince himself as much as Jackie.

.

Jackie peeks up from the bed. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

.

"Come on, Jackie, you know I don't really hate you. And Hyde is like a brother to me, so I guess that kind of makes you like...my annoying little sister or something," he says.

.

"Steven would make so much fun of us if he could hear this conversation," she muses, then looks at Eric intensely, "I'm really glad you guys are here this weekend".

.

"Me too," Eric whispers and they both continue their silent vigil, communicating only through their mutual anxiety and grief.

.

* * *

.

In the church at Point Place.

.

Jackie is wearing her wedding dress, looking beautiful. Bob proudly walks her down the aisle of the church until she reaches the end. When he turns to give her hand to Hyde's, he isn't there.

.

Jackie awakens with a start and quickly realizes where she is. She looks down at the person she's sleeping next to then strokes his hair and kisses his brow. She leans over and rubs her face along his stubbled cheek, then tucks herself under him.

.

Donna and Eric are slumped together in the chairs opposite the hospital bed. Her body swells with relief and gratitude that they stayed the whole day by her side. In times like these, she usually had Steven to help her, but he couldn't help her with this.

.

A nurse with a kind face walks into the room and gently informs everybody that visiting hours are over.

.

"I'm not going anywhere," threatens Jackie.

.

"I'm so sorry, but those are the rules," she says sympathetically.

.

"What if we stayed in the hallway?" Eric volunteers.

.

"You're going to stand in the hallway all night?" the nurse asks, hardly believing anybody would do that.

.

"I'll do it," he offers.

.

"I'll do it too," says Jackie.

.

"Woah, wait a minute, you guys are crazy. This isn't helping Hyde," Donna says, trying hard to be the voice of reason.

.

"I don't want to leave him alone," Jackie insists, shaking her head.

.

"You need to take a break, Jackie. I'll stay here tonight, you go home and have a nap in a real bed, then come back in the morning and we'll switch shifts," Eric suggests.

.

"No. I'm not leaving," she decides.

.

"He's unconscious. You're not doing him any good by running yourself down. He needs you to be strong for him. Let me do this for him," Eric pleads. "He'd want it this way and you know it. He'd want you to get sleep."

.

Jackie sinks her head into her hands and tries to bury it like an ostrich. "I know. You're right".

.

"Visiting hours starts again at 6am," Donna volunteers.

.

"I'ill be back at 5:59am," Jackie promises.

.

Eric breathes a sigh of relief. He knows this is what Hyde wants. If Hyde's not able to protect Jackie the way he'd like, then he's going to step up to the plate and do it for him, Eric decides.

.

"Promise me you'll call if there's any news, I don't care how late it is" Jackie pleads.

.

"Of course I will," he says as he embraces Donna.

.

"Please take care of yourself," Donna says. "See if you can get a chair or something," she smooths his hair out of his face.

.

"I will. I love you," he says with feeling, knowing that this could have easily been them in a twist of fate.

.

"I love you too," she smiles. "I'll kiss Luke for you".

.

"Ah yes" Eric says as he perks up, "This one is for Luke," he explains as he kisses her lips gently, "and this one is for Luke's hot mom, Padme" he kisses Donna passionately.

.

"Next time say Donna," she smirks as she pecks his lips once more.

.

Jackie leans over Hyde's bed and kisses him on the forehead. "Please don't leave me," she whispers tearfully. "I don't want to do this with anybody else," she weeps silently in his ear as she nuzzles his neck. "I love you".

.

With that, Jackie stands up, takes Donna's hand and they leave the hospital room.

.

Eric collapses in the chair next to Hyde's bed and waits.

.

Jackie's sobs can be heard echoing down the corridors until she turns the corner and the door of the ER wing slams shut.

.

Eric looks at Hyde quizzically, and then announces "Okay, they're gone".

.

At that moment, Hyde's eyes open and he turns to look at Eric.

.

**A/N - Are you digging this? Let me know with a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

****I know the tone is different in this story, which is why I broke it up into two books. If the ****1st story was about Jackie learning to let Hyde love her again, this one is about Hyde learning ****how to accept love from Jackie and the other people who love him. I also thought it would be ****interesting to see where Eric's loyalties lie and how he deals with being put in the middle. Let ****me know how this story is working please!**

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**CHAPTER 2**

.

Jackie is curled up around Hyde's pillow, asleep on their bed. Donna is stretched out next to her, but wide awake. The events of the previous day have been weighing heavily on her mind, and unlike Jackie, she's unable to take a tranquilizer to get some down time.

.

The phone begins to ring, and Donna dives for it to prevent it from waking Jackie.

.

"Hello?" Donna whispers into the phone.

.

"Donna? Is that you?" It's Kitty," she says in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

.

"Hi. Yeah, I took Jackie home. Luke is sleeping at the babysitter's house. Are you in town yet?" she asks.

.

"Um...we're at the hospital," Kitty says, sounding unsettled. "I think you should get down here," she suggests in an unidentifiable tone.

.

Donna bolts upright. "Oh my God, did something happen?"

.

"They're um...they're gone," Kitty says tearfully.

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Donna, panicking now, "What do you mean gone? Put Eric on the phone!"

.

"I can't honey, he's gone too. That's what I've been trying to tell you. They both left the hospital and nobody knows where they went," she says on the brink of hysteria.

.

Donna looks at Jackie, not sure if she should wake her or not. "Okay, we'll leave right now".

.

Donna hangs up the phone and brings her hands to the side of her head, not sure what she should do first. She eventually jumps out of bed and pulls on a pair of jeans, then crosses over to Jackie's side of the bed and gently tries to wake her.

.

"Hey Jackie," she shakes, "time to get up," she says while shaking again.

.

There's no response.

.

Donna opens up Jackie's closet and finds a casual wool dress and a pair of boots.

.

"Come on ya oompah loompah, help me out a little here," she says as she pulls off Jackie's nightshirt and puts the dress on.

.

Jackie starts to wake and completely freaks out. "What the fuck!" she says as she notices she's wearing a dress and one boot.

.

"I'm so sorry. I tried waking you, but I think that Valium really knocked you out," Donna says as she zips up Jackie's other boot.

.

"Why are you dressing me?" Jackie asks, still groggy and confused.

.

"Kitty called and wants us to come to the hospital immediately," Donna blurts out without thinking of the ramifications of what she's said.

.

Jackie snaps out of her sleep-induced haze and remembers. "Did something happen to Steven," her voice catches and she starts to tear up.

.

Donna places her hands on Jackie's shoulders, "No, nothing happened. We just have to get down there now."

.

Jackie nods and walks out of the door, not even bothering to brush her hair.

.

* * *

.

Kitty is standing with Kelso, who has his arm around her, and a senior police officer.

.

The girls come running up. Jackie pushes past a distraught Kitty to make her way into Hyde's hospital room, only to find the place has been cleared out.

.

Jackie stomach drops into her feet and she grips the wall for support. She has no idea what she's supposed to be feeling right now, but the overriding sensation is utter confusion and despair.

.

Her mind goes wild, concocting different scenarios. Steven's been kidnapped, or maybe he woke up dazed and is now roaming the streets of Chicago. Then the worst of it hits her and she knows in the deepest pit of her stomach that it's is the truth: he left by choice.

.

Kelso wanders into the room and wraps his arm around Jackie's waist. "You okay, Jackie?"

.

Jackie bites her bottom lip to stop herself from sobbing and looks up at Kelso with wet eyes.

.

"Come here," he says, and she empties out her sorrow into his chest as he embraces her.

.

He strokes her hair and holds her for a while longer until her sobs become more muffled.

.

"He left, Michael. He fucking left!" she cries.

.

"We're trying to figure out what happened," he says in a soothing tone.

.

"What happened is...he left. He got up out of bed and walked out of here on his own two feet," she hisses, getting herself worked up and angry.

.

"You don't know that," he says unconvincingly.

.

Jackie rolls her eyes and sits on the edge of Hyde's bed.

.

"Why do you think he left?" Kelso prods, police training kicking in.

.

"We're supposed to get married in two months," she says, shock staring to set in. "Maybe he didn't want to marry me," she says flatly.

.

Kelso now realizes he's in over his head, but he feels like this is his golden chance to make up for all of his mistreatment of her, so he presses on.

.

"Jackie, come on. What guy wouldn't want to marry you?" he asks, promptly putting his foot in his mouth.

.

"You were more comforting when you weren't talking," she frowns.

.

Just then, Donna staggers into the room looking shaken.

.

"Eric is gone too," she says as if she can't believe the words coming out of her own mouth.

.

"So, what? Like, they ran off together or something?" Jackie says angrily.

.

"I always suspected they were into each other," Kelso muses.

.

"Shut up Kelso," both Jackie and Donna snap at the same time.

.

"Hyde was pretty bad off and some of the equipment here is missing," Donna says. "The officer thinks that Eric helped Hyde leave the hospital".

.

Jackie rubs her forehead to ease her headache.

.

"Where do you think they're going?" Kelso asks.

.

"They're not going anywhere, they're running from here," snaps Jackie as she bolts from the room madder than ever.

.

Donna runs after her.

.

* * *

.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Where do you think you're going?" Donna screams.

.

"I'm getting out of here. I'm not an idiot. Clearly Steven left to avoid marrying me," she says, trying not to cry again.

.

"Well what about me? My husband left too. He left me and our baby, so how do you think I feel?" Donna yells.

.

Jackie stops walking and embraces Donna.

.

"I'm so sorry. I feel like this is all my fault," she says, allowing herself to cry again.

.

"Your fault? Are you kidding me? Our men are total idiots! I don't know about you, but I'm planning on hunting that skinny loser down and reading him the riot act," Donna says.

.

"Not me," Jackie says sadly. "I know when to quit" she says shaking her head.

.

Donna laughs, "If that were true, you would have dumped Hyde after the Veterans Day BBQ and never looked back".

.

Jackie smiles through her tears. "Touche".

.

Donna smooths Jackie's hair back. "Come on. You know he loves you. Something weird is going on and I think we need to find out so we can help them," she suggests.

.

"Help them?" Jackie spits out bitterly.

.

"Jackie, Do you really believe Hyde doesn't love you?" Donna challenges.

.

"No. I know he loves me," she answers definitively.

.

"Then let's try to help them. And then we can kill them. Okay?" she asks.

.

"Yeah," Jackie agrees and wipes her nose on the back of her sleeve.

.

"That was gross," Donna sneers.

.

* * *

.

Eric is driving a Custom Cruiser with a baby car seat in the back. Hyde is slumped in the right-side passenger's seat, still attached to an oxygen mask.

.

Eric looks over at Hyde and grimaces. "Hey man, you okay over there?"

.

Hyde, looking pale and sickly, gives Eric a weak thumbs up.

.

Eric, clearly struggling with his guilt, pulls the cruiser to the side of the road and turns the motor off.

.

"Hyde..." he starts.

.

"No," Hyde shuts him down before he has a chance to plead his case.

.

"How could you listen to her cry like that and just leave? I mean, I know I'm always saying she's evil and stuff, but you're the one who's being evil now," Eric says, extremely upset.

.

Hyde pulls the oxygen mask aside. "I'm doing this for her, you dumbass. I don't want her sidelining her life to play nursemaid to me, especially when I probably won't even be around to thank her for it," he grumbles.

.

"Don't you think that's her choice?" Eric challenges.

.

"I'm not giving her a choice. She's been overruled." Hyde says, shutting him down again.

.

"I just want to go on record and say that I am not okay with this," he says.

.

"Duly noted," Hyde snarks back.

.

"Look, you're like a brother to me and I would do just about anything for you. But you're asking a lot. My wife and kid have no idea where I am. Can I just call Donna?" Eric pleads.

.

"No. She'll just tell Jackie where we are," Hyde says. "All I need you to do is get me to New Orleans, Forman. After that, you can do anything you want."

.

Getting frustrated, Eric slams his hands down on the driving wheel several times. Hyde smirks.

.

"Getting a little Alpha male on me, huh?" Hyde chuckles at Eric's display of ferocity.

.

"I've always been Alpha. It was my nickname in my Eagle Scouts troop," counters Eric as he starts the car once again.

.

Hyde puts his mask back on and breathes deeply. He's not used to feeling weak, but then again he hasn't felt strong in a while. Over the past few months he's felt his endurance break down and strength depleting at an

alarming rate. At first, he chocked it up to getting older, but by last week he had blacked out twice and the handwriting was on the wall - he was sick.

.

Hyde looks out the window and tries to distract himself from the memory of her crying into his neck all day. Having her so close, feeling so sad, he was dying to reach up and comfort her but it would have given him away. One look in his eyes and she'd know exactly what he was up to. He couldn't risk it, though the trade off was pricey. Those sobs and the beautiful girl who made them will be haunting his dreams on a nightly basis– and he'll welcome them, because they're the closest thing he'll get to being with her.

.

* * *

.

Donna is sitting at Jackie's table with Red, feeding Luke. Jackie is on the phone trying to get information, and Kitty is frantically baking.

.

"And where was it last used?" Jackie excitedly holds her finger up to indicate they may have a lead, "Thank you so much!"

.

"Well?" Red asks.

.

"At a 7/11 in Tennessee," Jackie announces.

.

"Tennessee?" Kitty screams as she beats some egg white furiously.

.

"So they're going South. Any idea why?" Red turns to interrogate Jackie harshly.

.

"If I knew, I'd have mentioned it by now, Red," Jackie says in a persnickety tone.

.

Red softens and puts his arm around Jackie, "Sorry. I think we're all a little on edge".

.

"Was Angie able to speak to the doctor?" asks Kitty.

.

"She did, but I was on the other line with the credit card company, so she just said she'd stop by" Jackie explains.

.

Kitty looks at Jackie and scowls. "Have you eaten anything today?"

.

"No she has not!" Donna calls out from the table. "I've been telling her to but she won't".

.

"You've got to eat honey, Steven would be really upset if he knew you weren't taking care of yourself," she says as she grabs one of Jackie's hands.

.

"If I wasn't taking care of myself? Oh, that's rich," she snarls and flops into the seat next to Luke.

.

"I think you need some baby time," Donna says as she passes Luke to Jackie.

.

"So, who do we know in Tennessee?" Donna wonders aloud. "Mississippi? Alabama? Louisiana? Florida?"

.

Jackie's eyes go wide. "Edna".

.

"Hyde's mom?" Donna asks incredulously.

.

"Edna lives in New Orleans—at least, that's the last place we heard from her," Jackie says.

.

"Why would Hyde trying to see his mother?" Red wonders.

.

"Oh my God," Kitty starts sobbing into her oven glove. "Steven is going to see her to say goodbye".

.

"Don't jump to conclusions!" Donna demands, trying to be the voice of reason.

.

The doorbell rings and Red opens it.

.

In the doorway stands Angie, wet from rain and puffy from crying.

.

Jackie stands up and passes the baby back to Donna.

.

Angie shakes her head and tries to choke back tears.

.

Jackie runs from the room into her bedroom and shuts the door. She knows she can't hide from reality in here, but if she can pretend this isn't happening for at least five more minutes, perhaps she can work up the strength to deal with whatever horrible thing is about to come out of Angie's mouth. This whole situation is a literal nightmare and the last problem she ever thought she'd have to field while being with Steven. A phone call from jail? Sure. A beeper message from the ER with a broken hand? Already happened. But this? This is completely out of character, and that's what scares her the most.

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A knock comes from the door and Donna opens it.

.

"Leave me alone, Donna," Jackie sulks.

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"It's not Donna, it's Luke," Donna says in a baby voice, while holding her toddler son up at the door.

.

Jackie peeks up and smiles at Luke. "Hey little guy".

.

"Hey Aunt Jackie. I've got some news for you about my Uncle Hyde," Donna says, still using the baby voice.

.

Jackie stands up, walks across the room and opens the door to expose Donna.

.

"Ya caught me," Donna smiles up at her.

.

"Go ahead. Get it over with," Jackie looks at her very seriously.

.

Donna looks down for a minute to get her bearings and then speaks "it's Lymphoma".

.

**A/N - you know what to do, if you have the time-please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

.

Jackie is sitting in the driver's seat of Hyde's Mustang. Donna sits next to her, holding a giant platter of baked goods.

.

"We're really doing this?" Jackie asks Donna for confirmation.

.

"I'm sitting here with, like, a thousand cupcakes on my lap in the dead of Winter. Drive on!" Donna orders.

.

"Okay," she says as she attempts to put the car into gear.

.

About a minute passes and they have still not moved.

.

"You don't know how to drive a stick shift," Donna declares.

.

"No, I really don't" Jackie agrees.

.

* * *

.

Eric drives the car past several dilapidated shacks.

.

"We are currently driving through Mississippi. Ranked 50th in literacy and 1st in obesity," Eric announces. "Also, it is home to the world's only cactus plantation with more than 3,000 varieties of cacti."

.

"Good to know," Hyde responds as he hits the knob on the radio.

.

"Mississippi also has more churches per capita than any other state..." Eric drones on.

.

"If You Leave" by OMD plays softy in the background.

.

_**If you leave, don't leave now  
Please don't take my heart away  
Promise me, just one more night**_

_**Then we'll go our separate ways**_

_**.**_

_**We've always had time on our sides****  
****Now it's fading fast****  
****Every second, every moment****  
****We've got to, We've got to make it last**_

_**.**_

_**I touched you once, I touched you twice****  
****I won't let go at any price****  
****I need you now like I needed you then****  
****You always said we'd still be friends someday**_

_**.**_

_**If you leave I won't cry****  
****I won't waste one single day****  
****But if you leave don't look back****  
****I'll be running the other way****  
****Seven years went under the bridge****  
****Like time was standing still-**_  
.

Clearly disturbed by the song, Hyde turns off the radio.

.

"So-you were saying about obesity?" Hyde prompt Eric to restart his speech.

.

* * *

.

Donna is now driving Hyde's car and totally loving it. "I feel like a badass driving this Mustang!" Donna brags.

.

"Well, you do have a bad ass, so I'm not surprised," snarks Jackie.

.

"Jeez, have a cupcake before you say something you're really gonna regret," Donna warns.

.

"You're acting like we're on a road trip!" Jackie says, upset by Donna's joking.

.

"Uh...we are on a road trip, Jackie. Look around us. Road," she says.

.

"Road trips are usually for fun," Jackie grumbles.

.

"Not with my family," Donna counters.

.

"Have you even thought about what we're going to say when we find them?" she asks.

.

"How about—'get your asses back to Chicago'?" she says.

.

"I don't know how you can be so flippant about all of this. Aren't you mad at Eric?" she wonders.

.

"Obviously I'm mad, but I love him and I'm sure he thought he was doing the right thing-even though he is clearly a huge dillhole who needs to have his head examined," Donna says angrily.

.

Donna pulls over to the side of the road, opens the door and barfs on to the grass.

.

"Sure you don't know how to drive stick?" she asks.

.

Jackie, looking utterly disgusted, opens her car door to get out.

.

* * *

.

Hyde's color is looking a bit better and he's eating a Twinkie.

.

Eric is exhausted, eyes glassing over.

.

"I can drive if you're getting tired. It's dangerous to drive on no sleep," Hyde warns.

.

"Hmm as tempting as that sounds, I'd rather take my chances with a tired me than a guy who suffers from frequent blackouts," Eric snaps.

.

"I'm getting the sense that you're angry with me," he says.

.

"Ya think? Donna is never going to let me touch her again. Luke's probably already forgotten what I look like," Eric says sadly.

.

"You've been gone for 24 hours!" Hyde shakes his head.

.

"What do you even think is going to happen when we get there?" Eric wonders.

.

"I don't know, but I know I have to try something," he says.

.

"Okay good. For a while there I thought you'd just given up," Eric challenges. "I thought we were doing the whole 'elephant graveyard' thing."

.

"I haven't given up. I'm no quitter. I just...I just need time to think," Hyde says, pondering what his next step is before getting slightly irked. "And you should know me better than to think I'd be doing the whole 'elephant graveyard' deal. I'm more of a 'walkabout' guy."

.

"Well, I hope whatever plan you come up with doesn't involve Jackie, because that ship has probably sailed for good my friend," Eric says angrily.

.

"I don't want to talk about Jackie," Hyde says quietly.

.

"No problem, but hey, can you do me a solid? As much as I love holding Jackie's hand every time you break her heart, I'm kind of getting tired of it. So if you're going to bail on her again, you need to stay gone this time and cut the girl a break," he suggests.

.

"You know what? I left her for her sake not mine, so spare me the judgmental crap, Forman," he huffs.

.

Eric just shakes his head in passively resigned to accept the fallout from his mercurial brother's decisions.

.

* * *

.

Jackie is nervously gripping the wheel of the car, Donna has her head out the window to get fresh air.

.

"You remind me of my mom's old poodle," Jackie sneers.

.

"Why? Did your mom's poodle like road trips?" Donna wonders.

.

"No, she was a pregnant bitch," Jackie bites back which earns her a nasty look.

.

"What is your problem, Jackie?" Donna shouts.

.

"Where do I fucking start?" Jackie screams back and pulls the car over clumsily.

.

"I'm getting the sense that you don't want to go after Hyde," Donna surmises.

.

"What gave you that impression? The fact that I've been saying it over and over again?" Jackie snaps.

.

"If you don't want to find him, why are you here?" she asks.

.

"Of course I want to find him, I just think he doesn't want me to go after him! But I always make the wrong choice. You seem to have your shit together and you think this is a good idea, so that's why I'm here," Jackie whines.

.

"I am far from having my shit together" Donna offers. "My life is so dull, Jackie. All I do is breastfeed, mash veggies and play with toys. I hate it! I know I'm supposed to love being a mom, and I do love being a mom to Luke, but not as a full-time job. I miss adults and I miss my career," Donna says embarrassed but relieved to have gotten this off her chest finally.

.

"You always seem so happy" Jackie says puzzled.

.

"What am I supposed to do - tell everybody I hate staying home with my kid? They'll think I don't love him or something," she says miserably.

.

"So basically you're telling me that you'd rather drive across the country in search of my errant sick fiance than make baby food and change diapers?" she confirms.

.

"Finally, somebody gets it!" Donna throws her hands in the air.

.

"Donna, go back to work!" Jackie shouts through cupped hands. "Seriously. You don't know how lucky you are that these are your problems."

.

Jackie can barely recognize her best friend. She could tell Donna wasn't cut out to be a stay-at-home mom, that much was clear, but she figured it was just first-timer nerves. To hear Donna say that her life feels kind of empty makes Jackie nervous about her own future.

.

There's rarely a time when Jackie feels satisfied or happy with her lot in life. There's always a better job or a wealthier man or a cuter pair of shoes she could be sporting. If Donna can't be serene when she has everything she's ever dreamed of having, how on Earth is Jackie ever supposed to feel good about her life when her end target keeps moving further away?

.

Donna suddenly feels very bad. "Listen Jackie, the doctors said the cancer is in an early stage. If he comes home and gets treatment he'll most likely be fine. We're doing the right thing hunting him down."

.

"Steven is a pretty decisive guy. He has a reason for leaving town and part of it is that he doesn't want to be with me right now," she says definitively. "I'm angry and I'm scared of what might happen to him, but I know him—and he's not going to do something just because we chase him down."

.

"Just because he knows what he wants, doesn't mean he knows what he needs. That's your job," Donna says as she grabs Jackie's hand. "Now, excuse me for a minute while I barf".

.

Donna opens the door and pukes.

.

* * *

.

The Cruiser pulls up to a dive bar and the engine turns off.

.

Eric looks over at Hyde skeptically and shakes his head. "This looks like the type of place that sells home made bullets and moonshine."

.

"It's perfect," Hyde smiles for the first time in 48 hours.

.

"Fine, but you'd better get your punching hand ready, because if somebody here tells me I have a pretty mouth, I'm going to expect you to defend my honor," Eric says nervously.

.

"You might want to untuck your shirt," Hyde says as he saunters into the bar.

.

Eric frantically pulls out his shirt to look cooler.

.

The inside of the bar is a classic old New Orleans style saloon, complete with piano and crusty clientele.

.

"I feel like we wandered onto the set of 'Rawhide'," Eric riffs. "Except the cast is a bunch of rounded up extras from the Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine."

.

"Every single part of that sentence makes me want to punch you in the face," Hyde says, exasperated.

.

"Only because you got all my references," Eric says, self-satisfied.

.

Hyde walks over to the bar. Places like these used to be a second home to him, but it's been years since he's stepped foot into one of them. His life is so different now that he can barely relate, but like a first language, he can easily slip in and out of the lifestyle when it suits his needs.

.

"I'm looking for somebody," Hyde says to the sleazy looking blonde in her 40's tending bar.

.

"They don't show up until after 6pm," she responds, not even bothering to look up.

.

"Not looking for that. I'm looking for this person," he says as he slides a photo across the bar.

.

She picks up the photo and studies it for a minute.

.

"Also not here until after 6pm," she says with a smile. "Are you a friend?"

.

"More than a friend," he says very seriously as he places a ten on the bar. "Two beers please, whatever you have on tap."

.

She slides the money back towards him and winks. "If you're more than a friend, it's on the house," and pulls two brews from the tap.

.

"Keep it, as a tip," Hyde says as he brings the beer to Eric at the end of the bar.

.

"That was...fucking awesome!" Eric whisper yells in Hyde's face.

.

"Keep it together, man, you're gonna make me look bad," he smirks.

.

Eric sips his beer and looks longingly at the pay phone on the wall.

.

"You're thinking about calling Donna," Hyde says, feeling guilty.

.

"I'm always thinking about Donna," Eric says as he takes another swig of his beer.

.

"I'm sorry I'm getting you in trouble," Hyde says, seriously.

.

"You should be more worried about yourself. Jackie's never going to get over this, dude. How many times do you think you can ditch a girl and still have her take you back? It's a miracle you were able to convince her to marry you in the first place," Eric taunts.

.

"Your ass is about to marry my foot Forman, if you don't shut it," Hyde growls.

.

"You're too weak to kick my ass. And you shouldn't be drinking," he says as he takes the beer out of Hyde's hand.

.

"If I'm going out, I'm not going out sober," he grabs the beer back, "and even on my deathbed I will still be able to kick your ass."

.

"How many hours do we have left to waste?" Eric moans.

.

Hyde looks at the clock on the wall, "Three."

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Donna are now singing girl anthems in the car. They sing "I Hate Myself For Loving You," by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

.

_**Daylight, spent the night without you.**_

_**But I've been dreamin' 'bout the lovin' you do.**_

_**I won't be as angry 'bout the hell you put me through.**_

_**Hey, man, bet you can treat me right.**_

_**You just don't know what you was missin' last night.**_

_**I wanna see your face and say forget it just from spite.**_

_._

_**I hate myself for loving you .**_

_**Can't break free from the the things that you do.**_

_**I wanna walk but I run back to you, that's why** **I hate myself for loving you.**_

_._

The two girls rock out on air guitar.

.

Minutes later they are crying while singing "Lovesong" by The Cure.

.

_**Whenever I'm alone with you,****  
****You make me feel like I am home again.****  
****Whenever I'm alone with you, ****  
****You make me feel like I am whole again.**_

_**Whenever I'm alone with you,****  
****You make me feel like I am young again.****  
****Whenever I'm alone with you,****  
****You make me feel like I am fun again.**_

_**However far away, ****  
****I will always love you. ****  
****However long I stay, ****  
****I will always love you. ****  
**_

_**Whatever words I say, ****  
****I will always love you; ****  
****I will always love you.**_  
.

"Hot Donna makes a really depressing mix tape," Jackie says sadly. "Hormonal much?"

.

"It wasn't well thought out," Donna says, equally sad.

.

"How much longer do we have?" Jackie inquires.

.

"Well, according the map, we should be about a mile away," she says while looking at the map.

.

"We don't even know if Edna is still at this place," Jackie says dismissively.

.

"Jackie, it's worth a try. You want to help Hyde, right? Even if he didn't come here to see her, he might need bone marrow or something," she says.

.

"You're right, let's just get it over with. I'm having an allergic reaction to all of this...poverty," she says for lack of a better word.

.

Donna rolls her eyes, then notices the house out of the corner of her eye.

.

"Ooh stop right there! I think it's the white house," she says while comparing the address on an old postcard that Edna sent.

.

Jackie makes a face "I don't see a white house. I see a house that is off-off white from years of neglect. Could this be what you're referring to?"

.

"Can it, princess or you're going to get the Hatfields and McCoys to add the Burkharts to their feud," she says.

.

Jackie looks up at the house and thinks it appears haunted. Even if it isn't, she assumes the woman inside of it is. What kind of person could just abandon their son like that? . Jackie remembers how defensive and skittish Hyde was during the time he was living alone in his house and the anger begins rising in her body, warming her blood. She also thinks about her own mother abandoned her, and how Hyde was the one person who stepped up and took care of her.

.

"This bitch is giving him her bone marrow if I have to suck it from her body myself," Jackie says hopping out of the car, slamming the door behind her.

.

Donna, completely floored by that comment, slips quietly out of her seat and follows her scary, little friend to the door.

.

**A/N - Hey! If you're reading this, please let me know what you think about it in the reviews section. Reviews help me know what does/not work! Thanks for checking out my story!**


	4. Chapter 4

****Just want to thank you all so much for the flattering comments! This 2nd FF is such a departure from the 1st one that I was worried I might lose you all with the tone change. Let me know if you're having trouble following the action and thanks again for all the support. **

**.**

**CHAPTER 4**

.

Eric looks at the clock. It's 6:15pm and nobody but the hookers have shown up.

.

"Do you really think you-know-who is coming? I mean they're not exactly a pillar or responsibility," Eric says while nervously tapping his foot.

.

Hyde shrugs. "People can change. Look at me."

.

"You just ran off on Jackie—again. Yep, you've totally changed," Eric takes a sip of his fourth pint.

.

Hyde leans over and weakly punches Eric's arm.

.

Eric looks down at his arm and smiles. "Well, one thing's changed," he says as he sips his beer.

.

"Whatever," Hyde says weakly as he leans back in his chair and shuts his eyes.

.

Every time Forman brings up Jackie's name it's like somebody's twisting a knife in his wound. It's bad enough he's missing her like crazy, but to hear her name said out loud just brings up all of the guilt he's feeling for abandoning her. He knows he's making the best choice for her, but he also knows she won't see it that way. It's a burden he's prepared to shoulder, because he'd rather be the bad guy than ruin her life.

.

Eric notices people entering the bar and smacks Hyde's leg to get his attention.

.

Two men in white linen leisure suits and Panama hats walk past them and suddenly stop. One of them turns around and looks at Eric. "Do I know you man?"

.

"Yeah, you do," Eric says is disbelief.

.

"You know me too," Hyde says, now sitting up in his chair.

.

"Hyde, man!" the guy screams as he leans over and embraces Hyde warmly.

.

Hyde stands and slaps him firmly on the back.

.

"Do I know you, man?" he says again to Eric.

.

"Yeah Leo. We've met," Eric smirks.

.

* * *

.

Jackie walks bravely up to the door of the off-off white house and knocks loudly.

.

"Ew," she grimaces as she wipes the dirt off of her hand from the door.

.

Donna walks up behind her and whispers "What's happening?"

.

Jackie turns around and whispers "I am knocking on a door," as if Donna is an idiot.

.

Donna whisper-yells back "You don't have to be such a bitch about it, I was just asking!"

.

Jackie whisper-yells back "What else would I be doing?"

.

The door suddenly swings open with a bang, revealing a decrepit old lady holding a black cat.

.

The girls jump and quickly hold hands.

.

"Um..hi. Hello, I'm Jackie Burkhart," she says, interview skills finally kicking in.

.

"Yeah?" the old lady croaks in a vaguely Creole accent in her direction.

.

"We're looking for Edna Hyde," Jackie says. "Does she live here?"

.

"Edna? Yeah." she croaks again.

.

"Dear Lord," Donna mumbles under her breath.

.

"Can we see her? Is she home?" Jackie prods further.

.

"She's at work," the lady says.

.

"And where might that be?" Donna chimes in to save her frustrated friend.

.

"The Pink Clam near Preservation Hall," she answers and shuts the door promptly in their faces.

.

"Thank you?" Jackie is mystified.

.

Donna stifles a laugh. "Did she say The Pink Clam?"

.

"Sadly, she did," Jackie forces through her disgust.

.

"Do you think she's a stripper?" Donna cannot control the giggles.

.

"She's way too old to be a stripper, right? Right?" Jackie asks again nervously. "I can't see Edna naked. Gross," Jackie covers her mouth with her hands.

.

"Well, Hyde did see your mom's rack so it's only fair," Donna says, barely able to keep a straight face.

.

"That makes it worse. I hope you've got some singles on you and a strong stomach, because you're going to be right next to me, slipping ones in her g-string," Jackie threatens while jangling Hyde's keys.

.

"That makes me want to throw up, and I don't mean that in a morning sickness way," Donna scrunches up her face.

.

* * *

.

Leo and his partner, an older Mexican guy with a gaucho mustache, sit at the table with Eric and Hyde.

.

"I'm so happy to see you, Hyde. What has it been, six months?" Leo wonders.

.

"Seven years," Hyde answers flatly.

.

"No way man! How old am I?" Leo laughs.

.

The boys laugh.

.

Leo leans in "No really, how old am I Hyde?"

.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I knew," Hyde responds.

.

"What brings you out here?" Leo asks.

.

"Well, I know what line of business you're in now, and frankly I could use your help," Hyde says.

.

Leo's face falls. "Aw, that's a bummer man. I'll do whatever I can, of course," he says as he grabs Hyde's arm.

.

"Thanks," he smiles.

.

Hyde basks in the warm attention of his old friend and thinks back to all of the good times they had together in the Photo Hut and at Grooves. He also remembers how Leo was the one who pointed out how sad he was when Jackie left for Chicago the first time. If Hyde had just realized it earlier and on his own, he might not have wasted nearly a decade of his life trying to recapture that feeling again.

.

"Hey!" Leo remembers, "Where's loud girl? She always had kind of a thing for me," he muses.

.

"Loud girl's in Chicago," Hyde says.

.

"She was sexy. Can you give her my number when you go back?" Leo asks.

.

Hyde nods. "Absolutely".

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Donna get out of the car in front of The Pink Clam.

.

"How are we supposed to dress for a strip bar?" Jackie asks Donna.

.

"How the hell should I know?" Donna asks.

.

"This is more your element than mine," Jackie states.

.

"Sometimes I wonder why I like you," Donna shakes her head.

.

Jackie gives her a winning smile, "No you don't".

.

They walk up the the door and they're stopped by the bouncer.

.

"Are you ladies sure you're in the right place?" he says, looking at them skeptically.

.

Jackie points to Donna and announces "She's a whore," much to Donna's shock and dismay.

.

"And who are you?" he asks Jackie.

.

"She's my pimp," Donna nods in the guys direction.

.

The guy looks at them for a minute and then opens the curtain to the room. He's seen it all and this isn't really that weird to him.

.

"No cover for the whore," he says as he lets them in.

.

Donna whispers to Jackie "How nice. The whore gets in free. Yipee," she waves her hands in the air.

.

"I had to tell him something," she sniffs.

.

"Why aren't you the whore?" Donna challenges.

.

Jackie gives her a look and laughs. "If you had to guess that one of us was a hooker, who would you go with?"

.

Donna slumps her shoulders and takes the criticism. "Fine."

.

The girls pay the cover and take a table at the front, keeping an eye out for Edna.

.

"Do you think she's on stage tonight?" Jackie asks Donna as they settle in their seats.

.

"It's times like these I wish pregnant girls could drink booze," Donna says.

.

"They can in here," Jackie points out as she gestures to a heavily pregnant woman sitting on a stool taking coats while drinking a beer.

.

Jackie takes note of the room and wonders how her life got this out of control. She is suddenly, keenly aware that she is sitting in the middle of a strip club with her pregnant best friend while looking for the deadbeat mom of her possibly dying fiance. The absurdity of it all is not lost on her, and the most absurd part is that she would do all of this again in a heartbeat if she knew the end result would bring Steven home to her.

.

"Can I get you a drink, honey?" the waitress asks the ladies.

.

Jackie looks up at the waitress and then looks straight at Donna.

.

The waitress taking their drink order is Edna.

.

"I'll have a Hurricane," Jackie says proudly, figuring she's probably going to need all the liquid courage she can get to deal with this situation, and that drink has a lot of courage in it.

.

"And I will have an orange juice," Donna says, unembarrassed.

.

Edna looks puzzled. "So one Hurricane and one...juice?" she wonders if she's getting it right.

.

"AA" Jackie whispers to Edna behind her hand while gesturing to Donna.

.

Edna gives her a knowing nod and then a look of approval to Donna.

.

"Now I'm an alcoholic whore. Awesome!" Donna says, finding this all hilarious now.

.

"What are we going to say to her?" Jackie is seized with nerves.

.

"I don't know. I mean, I think we just have to lay it all out for her and let her make the choice," Donna suggests.

.

"No. She doesn't get to make the choice. She is going to hold Steven's hand in the hospital if I have to cut her arm off at the elbow and bring it with me," Jackie threatens.

.

"You have gotten very scary over the last 24 hours," Donna assesses.

.

* * *

.

Hyde and Eric follow Leo and his partner down a long underground hallway that leads to a room with a door similar to a public school gymnasium.

.

Leo knocks on it in a certain pattern and it's unlocked and opened from the other side.

.

When they walk in, it's like they're entering the Botanical Gardens. The room is triple height and filled with about 100 different strains of hydroponically grown marijuana in rows and rows of vertical gardens.

.

Eric's eyes go blank. "Have we died?" he asks Hyde.

.

"I don't know, man, but I won't be too pissed off if I die and this is heaven," he says.

.

"Medicinal marijuana is where it's at, man! You gotta see the doctor first, Hyde. She'll get you sorted out," he says, throwing his arm around Hyde once more. "It's great to see you again."

.

Eric touches leans over and tries to sniff all of the bud as he walks by. "This is the way 'Willie Wonka' always looks when I watch it high".

.

* * *

.

Jackie is finishing up her Hurricane, which she takes down a little too quickly, and waves Edna over to the table.

.

"Can I get you ladies another round?" she offers.

.

"Do we look familiar at all?" Jackie asks.

.

"I see a lot of faces girls, sorry." Edna dismisses them without even looking.

.

"We're from Point Place, Wisconsin," Jackie follows up.

.

Edna visibly stiffens. "Did he send you here to look for me?" she accuses Jackie.

.

"He who?"

.

"Stevie," she says, almost afraid to hear the answer.

.

"No, he didn't send us here, but we came here on our own for his sake," Jackie says calmly.

.

"Is he in jail? What does he need – money?" Edna asks sarcastically.

.

"No. He has plenty of money. What he needs is your bone marrow," Jackie says.

.

"My what?" Edna is confused.

.

"Your son has cancer," Jackie frowns at Edna.

.

Jackie watches as Edna's face goes through a series of emotions. Doubt, shock, anger, fear, all ring through her system at some point as Jackie waits for them to pass. This woman may not have a heart, but she does have healthy bone marrow, and if she's compatible with Steven, she owes it to him to give him at least that. She gave him life once and Jackie is determined to make her give it to him again.

.

"How do I know you're even telling me the truth?" Edna asks, looking for a way out.

.

Jackie holds up her left hand and flashes her 2 carat diamond ring. "Your son and I are supposed to get married in two months, if he lives that long. When he found out he was sick he left town. I assumed he was looking for you, but..."

.

Then that familiar sinking feeling returns. If Hyde didn't come here looking for Edna, where the hell is he going?

.

Jackie looks over at Donna, who is having the same thought.

.

"Okay, now I'm worried," Donna says. "I'm going to call Kitty to see if there have been any more credit card charges," she says as she bolts to the payphones by the coat check.

.

Edna slides into Donna's seat and puts her head in her hands. "So it's true then. My son is sick?"

.

"Yes, but maybe you can help him," Jackie offers.

.

"He doesn't want to see me again. Hell, I wouldn't want to. I was just about the worst mother out there," she says ruefully.

.

"Besides the sickness, he has a successful job and he's happy. Steven is doing really well," Jackie says, trying to make Edna feel better for some reason she doesn't quite understand.

.

Edna grabs Jackie's hand and smiles "I can see he did pretty well for himself".

.

Jackie can't understand it, but she feels overwhelmed with pity for this woman. She'd always vilified her in her memories, and certainly what she did was unconscionable, but she is a real person and not just a Boogie Man figure to be hated. She looks at Edna's face and realizes what a toll her life has taken on her. It not only robbed her of her looks, but it robbed her of her son and her dignity.

.

She also notices the chip Edna is wearing around her neck. It's a 5 year chip, which means Edna has managed to stay on the wagon for a long time. Quite an accomplishment in the Big Easy. Could she help both Edna and Steven at the same time? She doubts Steven would want to give this woman the time of day, but he just might do it if Jackie could prove to him that she's changed.

.

Just then, a drunk customer starts screaming at Edna to get up and fetch him a beer.

.

"I'll be there in a minute—hold your horses," Edna says, trying to put him off for another minute.

.

The customer's behavior escalates quickly, getting more hostile and vulgar until he eventually tries to manhandle Edna into taking his drink order.

.

"Get your hands off her, asshole!" Jackie says threateningly.

.

"Or what?" the customer laughs. 'Why don't you come over here and let me wash your dirty mouth out," he says as he flicks his tongue at her.

.

"Oh I'll come over there all right!" Jackie threatens as she swiftly kicks him hard in both shins and then smacks him across the face hard.

.

The guy doubles over in pain and screams, "You fucking bitch!"

.

The guy's friends stand up just as Donna approaches the table warily. "Oh crap," she says at this familiar sight.

.

"Run," Jackie says calmly as they bolt through the main doors.

.

"I'll be back, Edna!" Jackie screams as they run off into the night towards Hyde's mustang.

.

**A/N What did you think? I want to hear what you all think, so please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

.

Jackie and Donna run for about two blocks and then turn the corner and stop, completely out of breath.

.

"Damn. I need to go to aerobics class more," Jackie spurts out in between gasps for air.

.

"I think my uterus fell out," Donna winces.

.

"You're okay, right?" Jackie says with concern.

.

"I'm fine, just hungry. Can we take a break from the antics to get some food?" Donna asks.

.

"Nothing more we can do right now. Let's eat and regroup," she suggests.

.

"Why is everything closed?" Donna wonders.

.

They both look around for a place to eat and wander into the first open bar they see.

.

* * *

.

The girls find themselves in the same bar that the guys were in earlier.

.

"Excuse me, are you open?" Donna asks nobody in particular.

.

The leathery blonde bartender looks up from her phone call at them "Sure are".

.

"Great. Seems like everybody is closed for the winter or something," she says "Do you serve food?" "I'm sure we've got something in the back. Take a seat anywhere," she smiles, puts the phone down and heads into the back room.

.

Jackie looks at Donna with unease "What does that mean?"

.

"At this point, if it was once alive I will eat it," Donna decides.

.

They find a table and sit down, exhausted.

.

Jackie looks over at Donna and realizes that this giant redhead she makes fun of so often is basically closer than a sister to her. It's hard for her to believe that when they first met, they had absolutely nothing in common but boyfriends who liked to hang out together, because nowadays Donna can almost read her thoughts.

.

"I know I don't say this word a lot, but thanks," Jackie says with the seriousness it deserves.

.

"My husband is missing too!" Donna insists, trying to play it off like she's in it for herself.

.

Jackie narrows her eyes, "You know very well your loser husband is going to come running home to you at some point. He can barely tie his shoes without your go-ahead. Just accept my gratitude, will ya?".

.

Donna smiles to herself.

.

The bartender walks out of the kitchen holding two beers, a plate of cheese and a long French baguette under her arm.

.

"This is all we got girls, sorry," she says as she puts the food down.

.

"Thanks for the food, how much do we owe you for it?" Donna asks.

.

The bartender looks at Jackie curiously "Are you the girl who just kicked some drunk guy's ass at the Pink Clam who was messing with a waitress?"

.

"Maybe..." Jackie says nervously.

.

"Then I'm buying your dinner tonight. I've dealt with a hell of a lot of angry drunks and nobody did nothing for me ever," she beams at Jackie. "You're a little pistol, aren't you?"

.

"Word travels extraordinarily fast around here, huh?" she says, bemused. "Thanks for dinner".

.

Donna slides her beer over to Jackie. "You're drinking for two tonight".

.

"You're supposed to be the one eating for two," she says.

.

"Oh I will," says Donna as she bites the top off of the bread.

.

* * *

.

Eric sits on a metal chair in a small waiting room, tapping his foot nervously.

.

After a few minutes, the door clicks open and Hyde appears, still wearing a blue medical robe.

.

"Blue really is your color Hyde," Eric says, trying to lighten the mood.

.

"Shut up Forman," Hyde tries to conceal his grin. "They're not done doing tests yet, so it may be a while longer" he says.

.

"I really wish you'd go to a real doctor," Eric scowls.

.

"Dr. Lee is a real doctor, just not a Western one, corrupted by Big Pharma and the medical ponzi scheme known as cancer treatment" Hyde rails.

.

"You have got to be kidding me, Hyde. A lot of people were saved with Western medicine," Eric says defending his stance.

.

"And a lot of people were saved this way. 'They' just don't want you to know about it. Why do you think they keep pot illegal? It's bad for the cancer business," he says.

.

"You know, I've been listening to all of your conspiracy crap for years now and I've never said a thing, but you are just gambling with your life right now, dude," Eric says angrily.

.

"The doctors told me they caught it early. I figure that buys me some time to try things my way, before I let them poison my body," he rationalizes.

.

Eric runs his hands through his hair and stares at Hyde intently.

.

"What's that?" Eric gestures to something he notices around Hyde's neck.

.

Eric lifts it up and places it in his hand. It's a wedding band on a chain.

.

"It's the ring I was going to give Jackie," Hyde says with regret, pulling it back.

.

"It's the ring you still could give Jackie if you get in the car and come home with me now," Eric reminds him.

.

"This ring is like a noose right now and there's no way in hell I'd put it on her," he says definitively.

.

Eric's blood boils. "You know what? She's better off. Not because you're sick, but because you don't understand what marriage means."

.

"How do you figure?" Hyde says, getting annoyed.

.

"Do you think for one second I'd leave Donna if she were sick? Or that she'd leave me? Or that either of us would want the other person to abandon them? Part of your wedding vows say 'for better or worse'. This is worse, Hyde and you just bailed on Jackie," he says.

.

"I'm doing what's best for her," he says defensively.

.

"No, you're doing what's best for you. I mean, have you even run this crack-pot natural medicine thing by her? You don't think she deserves a say?" he challenges.

.

"It's not her body," Hyde says flippantly.

.

"So I guess if Jackie were sick and wanted to try some risky experimental drug you'd be okay with not having a say?" Eric asks.

.

"That's different," he says quietly while turning away.

.

Eric cocks his head to look at Hyde's face "How so?"

.

"It doesn't matter if I spend my life taking care of her, she deserves it. But to have her waste her life taking care of a bum like me would be criminal. She's worth more than that," he says.

.

"When are you going to stop thinking of yourself like that?" Eric says as his face sours.

.

"When are you going to stop being such a girl, Forman?" Hyde grumbles. "I asked you to get me to New Orleans and you did. I appreciate the help, but you can leave now."

.

"God, you're a frustrating son of a bitch," Eric shouts.

.

"You chose a really inconvenient time to grow a pair, brother," Hyde says, emphasizing the last word.

.

"Good luck, brother, you're gonna need it," Eric says as he shakes his head and walks out the door.

.

"Fuck!" Hyde says, verbally kicking himself for alienating the one person who has always stood by him his entire life. Eric may be emotional and a goofball, but he is his brother - period, and you don't treat your brother the way he just treated his. This only confirms Hyde's opinion of himself as a lousy bum.

.

Hyde collapses into one of the chairs, feeling like the universe's biggest douchebag. Two days ago he was on top of the world, and how he's sitting in the bowels of a whorehouse in New Orleans trying to figure out a way to stay alive. He wonders if it will all be worth it even if he does succeed. What's the point of living when you have nobody to go back to? He tries to convince himself it's for the best since they all would have eventually left him anyway. Everybody always leaves.

.

* * *

.

Eric walks back up to the pub, goes straight to the bar and orders a beer from the bartender.

.

"Hmm, sounds like you really need one," she says sympathetically.

.

"I really need three, but I'm going to drink them one at a time," he says correcting her.

.

She laughs while pulling his beer from the tap. "You wouldn't be the first tonight. I had two ladies in here just a short while ago and one of them was drinking two pints at once. She couldn't have weighed more than 95 lbs."

.

"Some people think I weigh 95lbs," he comments while downing his beer.

.

"This girl was a spitfire. There was some drunk bothering the waitress who served her and her redhead girlfriend at another bar and she kicked the guy straight in the shins twice. He went down like a ton of bricks, I'm told," she brags as if the hero of the story were her kid.

.

Eric looks up and his forehead crinkles as he thinks. "You had a 95lb shin-kicking spitfire in here with her friend who is redhead?" he repeats for clarification.

.

"Why? You like redheads?" she asks teasingly.

.

'As a matter of fact, I love them," he says, hoping his hunch is true. "Do you know where they went?"

.

"Maybe back to the Pink Clam," she shrugs. "I know they wanted to go back and talk to that waitress they helped earlier".

.

Eric slams money down on the bar and starts to run out. "Thanks for the talk!"

.

* * *

.

Eric arrives at the Pink Clam out of breath. He pays the cover, enters the bar, and starts scoping the place for Donna and Jackie.

.

"You want a party?" one stripper solicits as she sidles over to him.

.

"Not now. I'm looking for somebody," he says, eyes not leaving the room.

.

"What's you're type? We've got all types," she says as she strokes his arm suggestively.

.

Immediately, Eric's eye is drawn to a crusty middle-aged waitress serving drinks in the corner of the room. He squints to get a better look, thinking something about her feels familiar.

.

"That's your type?" the stripper says, slightly taken aback. "Well, I guess everybody's into something," she says as she moves away.

.

Eric sits himself down in Edna's section, oblivious to the floor show going on right in front of his face.

.

Edna makes her way over to Eric's table and pulls out her notepad. "What can I get you honey?"

.

Something about the way she calls him honey triggers an old memory. Eric remembers sitting in Hyde's house as a kid. His mother was drunk, as usual, and wanted Hyde to run out and fetch her more beer. "Get me a six pack, honey," she said in her characteristically throaty voice before throwing a wadded up five dollar bill at Hyde's head. Eric never forgot that day, because it was the last time he'd ever seen Edna, since she ran off with a trucker a week later and Hyde moved in a week after that.

.

Could this really be Edna? It would make sense as to why the girls were there, he thought, but it would also be the strangest coincidence in the history of his life.

.

"Did ya hear me, honey?" she prompts him again for an order.

.

Eric bravely looks up nervously into Edna's face, to try to get a positive ID.

.

Edna's eyes grow wide with shock as she recognizes Eric immediately, "Oh my God, you're here too?" she asks. "Then it must be true. Steven is sick," her face wrinkles with the pain of confirmation.

.

"Who told you that? The girls?" Eric asks, trying to extract more information.

.

"Stevie's fiancee and her friend were here. At first I thought there had to be some mistake, because that little girl seemed way out of his league, but once I saw her take a drunk down I could see how they might have some things in common," she smiled.

.

"They have a lot more in common than you'd think," Eric mutters.

.

"I've always thought about what I might say to you if I ever saw you again, Eric," she says, her eyes filling up with tears. "You saved his life. You did. And I owe your family so much, because they gave my son what I never could," she looks down and wipes her nose with a napkin.

.

"I'm not going to lie and tell you that your leaving wasn't the worst thing that ever happened to him, but it was also the best thing that ever happened to him too, because Hyde turned into a great man and he never would have been if my parents didn't raise him," he says bluntly.

.

She nods her head slowly. "I know. Do you think Steven would ever forgive me?" she asks hopefully.

.

Eric sighs heavily. "Sorry. There are just some things you never get over".

.

Edna sighs too and nods her head again while she dries her eyes. "Can you tell him something for me, Eric? Tell him I'm proud of him. Tell him I'm clean now, and tell him that whatever he needs from me, I'll give. I won't bother him, but if he needs bone marrow or anything else, he can have it."

.

Eric nods noncommittally.

.

"Oh, and tell him he's a lucky guy. His girlfriend really is something else," she grins, remembering the earlier incident.

.

"Yes she is," Eric smiles.

.

**A/N - You know what to do, please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

****Some content on this page is rated M for sexual content (aka SMUT!) at the bottom of the chapter.**

**.**

**Seriously, there's one coming up and I couldn't be more nervous to write it, because I always ****feel so self-conscious (am I giving too much/not enough detail? Is it hot?). Okay, I just want to thank you all SO ****much for all of the praise and comments. It's really rewarding ****and extremely motivating. I'm really trying to knock ****this story out as fast as possible, but part of the problem when you ****do that is fewer people comment.-so I really ****appreciate those who took the time to give such detailed feedback. Also, ****want to give a virtual high five to texican ****for noticing the silent Cheech cameo!**

* * *

**.**

**CHAPTER 6 **

.

Donna and Jackie walk up to the bouncer of the Pink Clam, sitting on a stool at the entrance.

.

"We were here before," Jackie says casually as she tries to re-enter the club.

.

The bouncer sticks his leg out against the wall to prevent her from passing. "We don't want any trouble," he warns.

.

"I won't make trouble," Jackie pleads, giving the bouncer her best coquettish smile.

.

"Yeah right. Sorry pimp, you're banned. The whore can go in though," he says, looking at Donna.

.

Donna stifles a giggle. This joke has legs, apparently.

.

Donna turns to Jackie, "Look, I'll just pop in and exchange contact info with Edna and we can be on our way".

.

"On our way to where? We have no idea where the boys even went. I mean, all we know is they're somewhere South or East of Tennessee," she says defeated.

.

"We'll figure it out then. Let me just take care of this right now," she says in a calming voice.

.

"I'm going to find a pay phone to call Kitty. If I'm not out here when you finish, just meet me back at the bar we ate at, okay?" Jackie says, digging in her pockets for change.

.

Donna smiles. "We're much smarter than they are and far more resourceful. Don't worry, we got this".

.

Jackie weakly smiles back. "I hope you're right. Good luck in there".

.

Donna nods goodbye and enters the club.

.

Jackie turns her attention to the bouncer. "I need a pay phone".

.

* * *

.

Donna walks back into the club and looks around for Edna. She sees her getting a drink from the bar. Her eyes follow the waitress as she brings the drink to a table and sets it down.

.

Donna suddenly notices the man sitting at the table. She forgets to breathe for a moment as she realizes that she knows that silhouette. She used to sit behind it for three years in English class.

.

"Eric Forman," Donna says loudly enough for Edna to hear.

.

Edna notices Donna and smiles. She touches Eric's arm and whispers something in his ear. His body stiffens and he whips around in his chair.

.

Donna knows she should be mad, but all she feels right now is an overwhelming sense of relief that her husband is okay and right there in front of her.

.

Eric leaps from his chair, runs to Donna and embraces her so hard that he literally sweeps her off her feet.

.

"Eric, I can't breathe," Donna says as she beckons him to put her down.

.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now, baby," he says as he kisses Donna long and hard.

.

Donna is completely taken aback. If she had known this was the kind of reception she would receive, she might have fabricated a situation like this a long time ago. Now this is a way to spice up a marriage, she thinks.

.

Donna luxuriates in the kiss for a while. When she comes up for air, she suddenly remembers how angry she is with Eric and punches him hard in the arm.

.

"Ow!" he cries, as the indoor bouncer gives Donna a disapproving look.

.

"I know I deserve that," Eric admits, hanging his head.

.

Donna embraces him again hard, burying her face in his neck. "God, I missed you, you stupid stupid man".

.

A bemused Eric doesn't know what to expect next.

.

Eric smiles, "I finally got you to go to a strip club with me," he jokes as Donna punches him hard in the other arm.

.

"Okay okay!" Eric says, crying uncle. "Let's just get out of here and go somewhere there aren't naked people so we can talk".

.

Donna nods, "I just have to exchange contact info with Edna," she says.

.

"Already done," Eric says as he pats his jeans pocket.

.

* * *

.

Jackie is a phone booth on the corner of the street.

.

"...and did they say if there were anymore charges made?" she questions Kitty.

.

- on the phone"Well, there was one more made today, at something called The Pink Clam in New Orleans. Oh my God, you don't think my baby is hanging out at strip clubs, do you? Well he is with Steven. Oh, sorry about that Jackie, I didn't mean to bring that up," Kitty hysterically has a conversation with herself.

.

"The Pink Clam? Are you sure about that name?" Jackie asks in disbelief, disregarding Kitty's rant.

.

- over the phone"That's what it says here," Kitty confirms.

.

"Okay, I'll call you back as soon as I have anything new to report. Bye," with that, Jackie hangs up the phone.

.

Jackie rubs the spot in between her eyes as she gazes in the direction of The Pink Clam. Could the boys have been right under their noses the whole time? Jackie thanks the universe that Forman lived up to his predictability and used his credit card one more time. She knows Steven would never slip up, but Forman is not built for living off the grid. Hell, he's barely built for living on the grid.

.

After the shock and relief subside, Jackie is left with a nagging sense of ambivalence. On one hand, she wants to see Steven so badly it physically hurts, but on the other hand, she is so devastated that he left her that she isn't sure how she'll ever forgive him. She feels like Sisyphus once again. What will she say to him if and when she does see him? She never quite did work that part out.

.

Jackie exits the phone booth slowly and drifts unwillingly into the agreed meeting spot to wait for Donna.

.

* * *

.

Jackie sits down on a stool at the bar and puts her head in her hands.

.

The bartender recognizes her instantly and places a beer in front of her. "You look like you could use a cold one," she says.

.

"Thanks. You don't know the half of it," she says, wallowing in her confusion.

.

"I'm gonna guess this is about a man," she says knowingly. "I've been doing this long enough to tell".

.

Jackie sighs, takes a sip of her beer and then places her face back into her hands.

.

She feels tired. Not just physically tired, but emotionally so. Jackie considers herself a moron for being naïve enough to believe the roller coaster ride with Steven would ever stop. This is who he is, and maybe this is who she is. She must like to live this way, because here she is, 1000 miles from home, searching the streets of a city foreign to her for any sign of him. Is this pathos or dedication? She'd have to think more deeply about that later. Right now, all she can concentrate on is making sure he's alive and safe.

.

The back door of the bar slides open and Hyde walks into the room. At first, he doesn't see her, because he's scanning the room for Eric, but then he notices a small figure at the bar and his heart nearly stops beating from shock. Hyde knew she was tenacious, but the fact that she was able to track him down and actually drove all the way down here to find him has him truly impressed.

.

He studies her from across the bar. She looks beautiful as always, but somehow more fragile. He tries to shake off the feeling, but he knows he's caused more damage than good in the long run by fleeing town the way he did. Just looking at her, nursing her broken spirit with a pint of beer, makes him want to curl up in the corner and die. He thought he was doing what was best for her, he still does, but seeing her in such a state has him questioning his judgment.

.

He's not sure what he should do next. Part of him wants to embrace her firmly and bury himself in her hair and the other part wants to run like hell. He starts to turn away to go back inside, but he can almost smell her from where he's standing and the pull is too great to ignore.

.

As Hyde fights his inner demons, Jackie, feeling the weight of someone's gaze, lifts her head up and their eyes meet.

.

They continue to lock eyes, both immobile from fear, neither one knowing which move to make next. Finally, Jackie breaks the moment by standing up and walking out of the bar without saying a thing.

.

Hyde just stares at the open door, unsure of what just happened. Did he dream this? Is he having another blackout?

.

* * *

.

Donna and Eric sit on the back stoop of an old hotel holding hands.

.

"Did you track us down through the credit card charges?" he wonders.

.

"You did that on purpose?" she asks.

.

"Of course I did. I mean, Hyde wasn't going to slip up and I wanted to leave you a trail, so you'd know I was okay," he says lovingly.

.

"Oh, I thought you were just too stupid to know not to do that," she laughs.

.

"Gee Donna, glad you think so highly of me," Eric says, clearly miffed.

.

"Of course I don't think you're stupid. Not for doing that anyway. Can you please enlighten me as to what's going on?" she begs.

.

Eric takes a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair. "God, I know it's only been a couple of days, but I can't believe how much has happened," he says in disbelief. "When Hyde collapsed at the bar, I swear I felt my life flashing before my eyes. When they brought him into the hospital, and he was still unconscious, I knew something was really wrong. I mean, I've seen Hyde get knocked out before—not often, but nothing like this," he says, painfully reliving the experience as he speaks.

.

Donna runs her hand down his arm for comfort. "Go on," she pleads.

.

"When he finally did wake up, they had already done an MRI and they knew about the tumors," he said. "Looking at Hyde's face when they told him," Eric's voice catches, "it was like he was expecting it".

.

"What do you mean," Donna asks, completely puzzled.

.

"About two months ago, we went out bowling and got really blitzed. He told me he was happier than he thought he would ever be, then got strangely serious and said he knew it couldn't last, because guys like him don't get happy endings," Eric says. "I thought he was joking, so I laughed, but he wasn't laughing. He said he was waiting for the other shoe to drop."

.

Donna fights back the urge to cry. "That's horrible. Does he think he's cursed or something?"

.

"I don't know," Eric says softy.

.

"I think it has to do with Edna," Donna decides. "I mean, he probably thinks if his own mother can't love him then nobody can, because who's supposed to love you more than your mother?"

.

Eric nods in agreement. "What are we going to do about him? He wants to stay here and undergo some kind of natural medicine treatment," he says, feeling the anger rise once more in his body.

.

"What? That's crazy!" she says, feeling her own anger rise. "What does he expect Jackie to do?"

.

"He left town because he doesn't want to burden her," he explains.

.

Donna can't believe what she's hearing. "She's supposed to be his wife. That's her job. This is so freaking typical and selfish of him!"

.

Eric runs his hand down the side of Donna's face. "I don't think I can leave him here alone."

.

"What do you mean? You want to stay a few more days?" she asks apprehensively.

.

Eric shakes his head no. "I'm going to stay with him for as long as he needs me. I can't leave him to do this alone."

.

Donna is irate. "But it's okay to leave me alone? And it's okay to leave your baby alone? We need you too!"

.

"You have support. He doesn't have anybody but me now," Eric says, trying to explain his position.

.

"He has Jackie," Donna snaps.

.

"He doesn't want her," he snaps back.

.

"Then he deserves to die here alone!" Donna stands up.

.

Eric tries to grab her hand, but she snatches it away. "You don't really mean that," he says.

.

"Actually Eric, I really do. If he's dumb enough to reject the one person who loves him more than anything, then he deserves to live with the consequences. And if you stay here with him, you're going to be dealing with consequences of your own," she threatens.

.

Eric fights back tears. "Donna, I love you, you know that. You just have to understand..."

.

"No Eric, I really don't. You choose Hyde over me and you can just feel free to stay here for good," she says coldly and walks off.

.

Eric looks after Donna stunned. He knows it's the wrong decision choosing Hyde over his wife, but he just wouldn't be able to live with himself if Hyde died here alone with nobody to help him. His best friend has a dark side that can easily be tapped into, and he wants to be there to prevent him from falling into the abyss.

.

Hyde has saved Eric more than once from getting beaten to a pulp by bullies and he taught him how to stand up for himself like a man. Like Chewbacca and Han Solo, he feels he owes Hyde a life debt.

.

* * *

.

Jackie runs around the building to the alley behind the bar and looks for a way out, but can't seem to find one. She feels like a trapped mouse, devoid of the strength and willpower to free herself.

.

She sees a figure coming towards her out of the corner of her eye and backs up against the wall of the building, bracing for the worst.

.

Hyde comes closer to her and Jackie flinches, stopping him in his tracks.

.

"Why did you come all the way out here if you were just going to run away from me?" he says emotionally.

.

Jackie opens her eyes and looks intently at her boyfriend. He looks the same as usual, better even, since the last time she saw him he was unconscious in a hospital bed.

.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she whispers, barely able to speak. "And you look pretty okay to me, so I can leave now," she says while trying to move.

.

Hyde leans his arm against the wall to block her from going anywhere and stares at her with a mix of admiration and pity. He's reduced her to this, and he's pretty sure this feeling will kill him faster than the cancer ever could.

.

Jackie hangs her head and weeps. "Why are you doing this? Don't you love me anymore?"

.

Hyde is sure he can actually feel his heart breaking in his chest. He wipes the tears from Jackie's eyes and cups her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.

.

"I'm doing this because I love you. I'm not worth you throwing your life away on," he says earnestly trying to get her to understand.

.

Jackie looks up at him, her eyes reflecting a darker green than usual. "It's my life to throw away! Why won't you let me love you? I want to be here with you," she says desperately.

.

"I know you do," he says determined not to be swayed, "but I don't want you here".

.

"I'm so scared, Steven. Seeing you lying in that hospital bed was the worst day of my life. I don't want to lose you. I feel like I can't breathe when you're not with me," she cries once again. "Why don't you feel the same way about me?"

.

He looks at her lips quivering and longs to make them stop by pressing his own against them. He can feel the soft skin on her neck brushing the back of his hands and her raven hair tickling his fingertips. He can barely control himself when he's around her on an average day, but having been without her so long, the ache to be with her is becoming increasingly unbearable.

.

"Of course I feel the same way. I've been in love with you for half my life," he says as he leans down to kiss her.

.

She reluctantly receives his gentle kiss, the familiar electricity between them starting to build and crackle, then without warning, she pushes him off of her and slaps him across the face hard. Twice.

.

He looks at her in complete shock, as the fury she's harboring for him leaps off of her like sparks from a flint.

.

Jackie's chest heaves, adrenaline pumping through her body from aggression and nerves.

.

Hyde's face softens as he looks at the woman he loves experiencing such pain and anger. This could be the last time he sees her, and he's not ready to let her go, not like this.

.

His expression then changes to one of intensity, and he roughly grabs her, pinning her to the wall. She struggles for a moment, then gives in to the passion, letting him bury is face in her neck. She grabs his hair in both of her hands and leans back, resigned to the erotic assault she's about to receive.

.

Being with him like this is both pleasurable and painful for Jackie at the same time. She misses his touch and can't bear to have this be the last time, as she knows it will be.

.

Hyde is at points gentle and not, as he works his way up and down the crevice of her elegant neck with the ardor of a school boy. She holds him to her tightly, afraid if she lets go this won't be real.

.

He runs his hands all over her body, like a braille reader trying to memorize a passage in their favorite book, then slides his hands under her dress and hikes it up slowly, laying waste to her fragile lace panties with a sharp tug.

.

He stops for a moment and kisses her gently and sweetly with all of the pent up longing and emotion he's been carrying around for her the past few days. He's always been bad at expressing himself verbally, but he's always been good at showing her how he feels about her physically.

.

He runs his hands down the sides of her face as he stares wordlessly into her eyes. He watches her intently as he leans her against the wall and slips himself inside of her. She inhales sharply and wraps her legs around him without breaking his gaze, and welcomes him in.

.

He thrusts into her deeply, rhythmically, and without a break. They continue to keep eye contact while holding each other tightly. Suddenly overwhelmed with feeling, Jackie moans and climaxes hard, looking away for a moment as her eyes tightly shut with pleasure. As she finishes, her eyes well with tears, knowing this is probably the last time he will ever make her feel this way.

.

He strokes her face, wiping her tears away as he continues pushing into her firmly. As Hyde is finally overtaken, he calls her name out several times, almost like a prayer.

.

Both finished, they tightly hold one another, neither wanting to be the first to let go. His mind drifts back to the time they finally reunited like this in the basement of the Forman's house. He didn't want to let her leave that day and he feels the same today. Then, she was the one who decided to walk away, but now he knew he would have to be the one to make her leave.

.

Hyde is about to say something, when Jackie interrupts him. "Just don't speak. Don't say anything. I want to remember this moment as a happy one," she says, trying to keep her emotions in check.

.

"Jackie..." he says as he kisses her, allowing himself to get lost in her once more.

.

"I know what you're going to say, but I don't want you to say it. I want the last thing you say to me to be something I can remember fondly," she pleads.

.

He holds her face gently and kisses her once again. "You know how bad I am at this," he says, "but you have to know by now that I would do anything to make you happy, even if it means dying out here alone."

.

"Please let me..." Jackie tries to interrupt but Hyde kisses her quickly to silence her.

.

"Leave me here and live your life. If you ever loved me at all, you'll do this for me," he says with absolute seriousness.

.

"How can you ask me to do that? It's going to kill both of us, you know, not just you," she says.

.

"If I thought that were true, I wouldn't ask. Contrary to popular belief, I've always needed you far more than you ever needed me," he smiles. "You'll move on, and you'll be happy again".

.

She shakes her head no, but he steadies it and kisses her one more time with everything he has. Then he walks away, without looking back once.

.

Standing in the alley alone, hair mussed, with her dress askew and her face streaked with tears, for the first time in her life, Jackie couldn't care less what she looks like. She figures that it's only fitting if she looks like hell, because she's currently living through it.

.

**A/N - Whaddaya think? Sex scene okay? I'm still a novice at smut. Please review and let me know how I'm doing.**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

.

Jackie folds up the pull-out bed in her living room and sits down on the newly reformed couch to rest.

.

It's been six weeks since they got back from New Orleans, and all of their lives had changed dramatically. Donna and Luke left their home in Point Place and had now taken over Jackie's bedroom, which didn't bother her too much, since it was hard for her to fall asleep in there now anyway.

.

Kitty was in Chicago quite frequently to watch Luke while Donna searched for a job at the local radio stations. It was awkward at first to have her there, but eventually Kitty stopped looking at the girls with sad eyes and just pushed forward as they all had to do.

.

Jackie picked up one of Luke's toys from the middle of the floor and smiled.

.

"Sorry this place is such a mess," Donna apologizes while carrying Luke into the living room on her hip. "I think we should probably go for a bigger place once I get a job. Ya know, in case you want to sleep somewhere that doesn't have loose change and crushed Fritos falling into it".

.

"I don't know, I kind of like us living on top of each other. It reminds me of when we shared a room in high school. I know I bitched a lot about it at the time, but I secretly thought it was a lot of fun," she smiles.

.

"Me too," Donna smiles back.

.

"Speaking of jobs, any luck with any of your interviews?" Jackie wonders.

.

"Actually, I think there might be something panning out for me soon, but I don't want to jinx it, so I'm not saying a word," she says.

.

"I get it," Jackie winks. "Hey, Fez is probably coming over later to hang out if that's okay".

.

Donna narrows her eyes, "You know you don't have to ask my permission to have people come over. Especially Fez. I mean, this still is your place. I haven't even given you rent money".

.

"I don't care about the money," Jackie pauses. "Did I just say that?" she laughs, which sets off a chain reaction causing Donna and then Luke to start laughing as well.

.

Donna puts Luke down on the floor and hands him a book to look at.

.

"Have you received any money from...um..." Jackie didn't dare say Eric's name. It had been an unspoken rule from the get go that they would not mention their respective ex's in front of each other.

.

Donna becomes plaintive, "He's tried, but I told Kitty to tell him to put it into a college fund. If we're going to be alone, I want to do this on my own".

.

Jackie smiles "You're not on your own, you have me and I'm way nicer to look at than old whats-his-face" she says as she twirls around.

.

Donna rolls her eyes.

.

"I know this is a sore topic, but you can't really keep it under wraps for too much longer," Jackie says while gesturing to Donna's growing belly.

.

"I'm tall, I wear baggy clothes, I think I've got a few more months in me," she estimates. "Look on the bright side, at least I'm not puking all over the place anymore".

.

"Not much of a silver lining," Jackie scowls.

.

"For you maybe," Donna scolds. "I've got to get dressed for my follow up interview. Would you mind watching Luke until I'm out?"

.

"Of course, but who's watching him while you're at your interview? I have to get to the office soon," she says.

.

Jackie can see Donna's body slightly tense up. "Um...don't be mad, but I asked Angie".

.

Jackie gives Donna a look that could melt glass.

.

"I didn't have anybody else to ask! Kitty can't make it today and everybody else is working," she says apologetically.

.

"It's fine. It's not Angie's fault. It's just that seeing her reminds me of my old life, and right now I'd rather forget the last year," she says, sure she's making the best choice. "I guess I have to face her sooner or later".

.

"Thanks for being understanding," Donna says as she kisses Luke's head, runs into the bathroom and turns on the shower.

.

* * *

.

Jackie fills Luke's sippy cup with cold water and closes the lid. The doorbell chimes twice in a row and she answers it quickly.

.

"Hi," Angie says, surprised to see Jackie home instead of Donna.

.

"Hi Angie. I'm just getting Luke's bag ready for you," she says, barely looking up at her.

.

"Can I get myself a glass of water?" she asks.

.

"Of course," Jackie says as she collects a few toys from the floor to add to the diaper bag.

.

Angie walks into the kitchen, pulls a glass from the cupboard and fills it with water. It's an odd feeling for her to be in the apartment, because it's her first time being there since all of her brother's stuff was moved out.

.

Angie notices the bedding on the couch and raises her eyebrows "Donna sleeps on the couch?"

.

"No" says Jackie, "That's my bed now".

.

Angie looks at the framed pictures on the walls and frowns. All of the ones of Steven have been removed and replaced with pictures of Luke.

.

"He looks cute in these," Angie says, but Jackie can tell what she's really thinking.

.

"Have you been out much lately?" Jackie asks, hoping to switch the topic of conversation to something less touchy.

.

"A little bit. Fez actually took me dancing the other night. He said he asked you first but you weren't in the mood," she says, mining for more information.

.

"Yeah well, I haven't exactly been in the party mood, no. Too busy on the phone canceling the flowers and band for my wedding, ya know?" Jackie blurted out, unable to resist a dig.

.

She has no idea why she's feeling this way towards Angie when she had never shown her anything but kindness and respect. Even when Jackie returned from New Orleans, Angie offered to come and collect the boxes of Steven's stuff. She's been a good friend and Jackie has rewarded her with bile.

.

Angie looks at her sadly and nods. She's not about to make things worse, regardless of how unfair it is that she's catching the brunt of Jackie's hostility towards Steven.

.

Jackie gets up to quickly, making herself dizzy. She grips the side of the couch and holds her head until the spinning stops.

.

"Are you okay?" Angie says as she runs to her.

.

"I got up too quickly," Jackie explains.

.

Angie takes Jackie's face in her hand and looks into it.

.

"You're not eating, are you?" she proclaims more than asks.

.

"I've been forgetting to a lot," she admits.

.

"Listen Jackie..." Angie says, clearly about to get deep.

.

"Please don't" Jackie protests, holding up her hand. "Angie, I really like you, but it's hard to be around you right now. I don't really want to talk about him, okay? It's been weeks since I last cried and I'd like to keep it that way. Onward and upward!" she says forcibly cheerful.

.

"Okay. Just promise me you'll take care of yourself better. You look really thin and pale," she says.

.

"You're right. I will," Jackie smiles, this time genuinely.

.

* * *

.

One week later, Donna walks into the apartment carrying a bottle of Martinell's Sparkling Apple Juice and a pair of birthday crowns.

.

As she enters the living room, she sees Luke playing on the floor, and Jackie lying listlessly on the couch, pale as a ghost, mumbling along to the end of The Cure's "Pictures of You".

**.**

_**If only I'd thought of the right words****  
****I could have held on to your heart****  
****If only I'd thought of the right words****  
****I wouldn't be breaking apart all my pictures of you**_

_**Looking so long at these pictures of you****  
****And never hold on to your heart****  
****Looking so long for the words to be true****  
****And always just breaking apart, my pictures of you**_

_**There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more****  
****Than to feel you deep in my heart****  
****There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more****  
****Than to never feel the breaking apart, my pictures of you**_

.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she says, genuinely concerned.

.

"Nothing. Just feeling kind of crappy today" Jackie says dismissively.

.

"You're not going goth on me are you?" Donna teases.

.

Jackie snorts in disgust and turns to face the wall.

.

Donna puts down her packages, sits on the edge of the couch and strokes Jackie's hair pensively.

.

"You really look terrible," she says.

.

"So? You always look terrible and I never say anything," Jackie mutters at the wall.

.

Donna laughs. "You always say something!"

.

Jackie turns around to face Donna. "How come it's so easy for you to move on? I know you love him," she insists.

.

"Jackie, it's not easy for me, but I have one kid and another on the way. I don't have the luxury of feeling bad for myself because I'm too busy feeling bad for them," she says tightly, trying to keep herself from letting her grief out.

.

"I think you're right. I need a distraction," she says.

.

"Your wedding would have been next week. I know it's going to be a hard day for you, but maybe after that you'll be able to focus on moving forward," Donna suggests.

.

Jackie nods. Donna is right, as usual, she thinks. She's only being self-indulgent because she can. If she had something else to put her energy into, she'd be happier. Jackie Burkhart never thought of herself as a quitter before and she's not going to quit now. She realizes she needs to get her mojo back, and she knows just the thing to help her find it.

.

"Now come over to the table to drink fake champagne and wear tinsel crowns with me. I got the job," Donna beams with pride.

.

Jackie squeals and throws her arms around her friend. "I'm proud of you" she says softly as she smiles into a mess of red hair.

.

* * *

.

Hyde lines up four different week long pill organizers that have Mon-Sun labeled on each box. He opens up the first box that's labeled "Monday AM #1" and dumps a handful of pills out into his hand, then drinks them down with a strange-looking tonic.

.

The radio alarm clock goes off at top volume, midway through "The Devil Inside" by INXS.

.

_**Here come the man  
With the look in his eye  
Fed on nothing  
But full of pride  
Look at them go  
Look at them kick  
Makes you wonder how the other half live**_

_**The devil inside**_  
_**The devil inside**_  
_**Every single one of us the devil inside**_

_**The devil inside**_  
_**The devil inside**_  
_**Every single one of us the devil inside**_

.

Eric shoots up in his bed and slams his hand on the alarm to silence it, then falls back into the pillow.

.

"Come on man, it's time to wake up," Hyde says, pulling on a pair of old jeans and a Miss Pac-Man t-shirt.

.

Eric smirks "Is that one of Jackie's?"

.

"No, it's not one of Jackie's" Hyde says, mocking Eric's voice.

.

"She bought it for you though," Eric says seriously.

.

Hyde shrugs and zips his fly.

.

"Today's the big day?" he asks Hyde as he starts to get dressed.

.

"In more ways than you know, brother," Hyde says as he walks out of the room. Eric only realizes after Hyde leaves what he meant. Today was supposed to be his wedding day, the day he was supposed to be starting his new life. He looks over at Hyde's stash of pills and supplements and hopes with all of his might that today still is the day that Hyde gets to start a new life. He has his eight week scan today, and they'll be able to tell him if the treatment is working or if he's getting worse.

.

Eric feels the need to hit Willie Wonka's growhouse at least once before they break the news. He's gonna need it either way. He slips on his Panama hat and goes in search of Leo.

.

* * *

.

Fez fixes Jackie's hair in the living room while Donna prepares lunch for Luke in adjoining kitchen.

.

"I'm going to make you look like a queen today, princess," he gushes, clearly trying to overcompensate for the agony he assumes Jackie is going through due to her never-was wedding day.

.

"I already look like a queen, but thanks for the touch up," she kisses the air in his direction.

.

Donna leans into the living room "Is she back?" she asks hopefully.

.

"She has been extremely bitchy today, so I think she may be back," he says excitedly.

.

"Oh come on!" Jackie whines. "I'll admit, I went to a dark place for a while, but I look good, my dress is hot, and my hair is thicker than ever!" she brags.

.

"She's right, her hair is especially thick and bouncy," Fez admits. "Show me the dress," he demands.

.

Jackie removes her robe to reveal a hot red number with a slit up the side.

.

"Oooh. Naughty girls need love too," Fez coos at her while trying to cop a feel.

.

"Hands of Fez. Save it for the other girls...or whatever you're into tonight," she shrugs.

.

Donna walks out of the kitchen to check out Jackie's dress and lets out a catcall whistle.

.

"Donna, have you put on weight?" Fez demands to know.

.

Donna lets out an exasperated gasp. "Fez, I'm 16 weeks pregnant! Yeah, I've put on a little weight! Freaking let it go already!"

.

"You probably should stop mentioning it to her face," Jackie whispers to Fez.

.

"I can't just pretend it's not happening," he whispers back as he whacks a slap bracelet on Jackie's wrist.

.

"Get that thing off of me," she hisses at him as he feebily tries to remove it.

.

"Have fun kids—make sure you're home by dinner time!" Donna shouts from the kitchen.

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Fez are entered into an afternoon dance contest at their local club. For their turn, they get up and perform a rousing bump & grind rendition of George Michael's "Faith".

.

_**Well I guess it would be nice****  
****If I could touch your body****  
****I know not everybody****  
****Has got a body like you**_

_**.**_

_**But I've got to think twice****  
****Before I give my heart away****  
****And I know all the games you play****  
****Because I play them too**_

_**.**_

_**Oh but I****  
****Need some time off from that emotion****  
****Time to pick my heart up off the floor****  
****And when that love comes down****  
****Without devotion****  
****Well it takes a strong man baby ****  
****But I'm showing you the door****'**_

_**Cause I gotta have faith...**_

.

Jackie and Fez proudly bow to a standing ovation. He lifts her up and carries her off stage. Angie is waiting by the side and throws her arms around them.

.

"You guys fucking rocked it!" she screams.

.

"We know," Fez says, still out of breath.

.

Jackie, feeling uneasy, staggers over to the side door of the club and opens it to get some air.

.

"Is she okay" Angie asks Fez with concern.

.

"Maybe a little out of practice," he assumes.

.

Angie walks over to Jackie and gets there just in time for her to catch her as she passes out.

.

**A/N - Good/Bad/Ugly? Let me know by leaving a review please!**


	8. Chapter 8

****Before the collective groan occurs, I just want to say that NORMALLY, I'm not into these storylines, ****but in this case, I'm not using it as a way to bring them together- it will be relevant, I promise! I realize ****it's all very telenovella, ****but I promise not to fromage this up.**

**.**

**Also, just wanted to point out that the natural medicine cure is not just me making things up—I actually have ****a very good friend who was cured of stage 4 melanoma through some kind of similar, weird pot-based natural ****medicine program. Obviously this kind of thing doesn't work for everybody, but it can work for some. Amazing right?**

**.**

**As always, your reviews are very welcome (begged for even!) and much appreciated! ******Special thanks to schottzie, twentysevenseconds, and MaggieLikesElephants for such thoughtful ****and flattering reviews!**

**.**

* * *

.

**CHAPTER 8**

.

Jackie is sitting in the kitchen with her hair pulled back into a bun and a thermometer in her mouth. Donna pulls it from her lips, checks the temperature, then shakes it out and sets it on the counter.

.

"You don't have a fever," she says while examining her friend.

.

"I'm sure I'm fine. I feel better already," she says, trying to assuage Donna's nerves.

.

'What else is bothering you?" she asks.

.

"I don't know. Mostly I feel really tired all the time and sometimes faint. Maybe I have Mono?" Jackie wonders. "Though I already used that as a fake excuse up at work to get time off."

.

Donna is about to say something and then stops.

.

"What?" Jackie prods.

.

"If I ask you this, you're only gonna get pissed off and I don't have the energy for 'Hysterical Jackie' tonight," she says.

.

"Well now you have to ask. You can't allude to something disturbing and then say 'never mind'. You know I'm not going to let it go," she says, irritated.

.

Donna struggles for a bit thinking how she wants to phrase the question and then just decides to blurt it out and suffer the consequences. "When's the last time you got your period? I'm only asking because usually you turn into a raging bitch right before and you've just kind of been unilaterally depressed for the last two months. Please don't be mad!" she tacks on the last bit to ease the blow then braces herself for the onslaught of obscenities.

.

She stares at Jackie cautiously, unnerved by her lack of a reaction.

.

Jackie stares at her hands and tries to do the math in her head. Suddenly, she stands up and runs into the bathroom and starts hysterically sobbing.

.

'Shit," Donna says to herself as she approaches the closed door.

.

"I'm sure it's okay, Jackie. I mean you're so skinny you probably miss your period all the time. When's the last time you got it?" Donna waits by the door for an answer.

.

The door opens, and a puffy-faced and very serious-looking Jackie stands in the door frame, unable to move. "Almost three months ago," she says without emotion.

.

Donna's jaw drops to the floor. "Are you sure? Maybe you just haven't been keeping track because of what's happened?" she suggests hopefully.

.

Jackie shakes her head. "I remember being glad that I finished in time to have my dress fitting, because, you know, the dress is white. I even made sure to count the days to make sure I wouldn't have it during the wedding or honeymoon." She takes a long stretch of toilet paper off the roll and blows her nose hard. "I guess I was too preoccupied to notice".

.

Donna runs her hands through her hair and tries to think of something to make her friend feel better. "You could have an ovarian cyst!" she suggests excitedly.

.

Jackie rolls her eyes at Donna and takes a deep, cleansing breath.

.

"I am so fucked," Jackie says, her voice catching on the last word. "What the hell am I going to do?"

.

Donna hugs Jackie tightly to her chest and strokes her hair. "Come on. Let's go buy a pregnancy test and some ice cream".

.

"Why ice cream?" Jackie asks, still sniffling.

.

"The ice cream is for me," Donna admits.

.

* * *

.

Hyde sits nervously on the patient's table waiting for the doctor to come in. Eric sits in the chair at the side of the room.

.

After a few minutes, Hyde jumps up and says "I can't do this," and tries to make a run for it, but Eric blocks his way.

.

"Sit your ass down," Eric says. "We didn't come all this way and spend two months in an old whorehouse just to have you run out when the news gets delivered".

.

Hyde paces the room. "What if it didn't work, man?"

.

"Then it didn't work, and we'll try something else. It is what it is and you can't change that," Eric says philosophically.

.

Hyde takes the advice to heart and calms down, then has a realization and grins at Eric. He raises his finger up to accuse him, "You've been in Leo's growhouse".

.

Eric looks around and behind him. "What? Me?"

.

Hyde gives him his trademark grin and hops back on the table.

.

Dr. Lee knocks twice then enters the room carrying a large envelope.

.

"Hello Mr. Hyde," the doctor says smiling, as he pulls a few x-rays from the envelope.

.

"He's smiling. Is that good news?" Eric blurts out nervously.

.

"Let him talk, Forman," Hyde snaps.

.

The doctor clips two slides onto the light box and turns off the lights.

.

"The picture on the left was taken the day My. Hyde was admitted to our clinic. As you can see, there is a small cluster of nodules or cancer cells on lymph nodes on both sides of his head. In the picture on the right, taken yesterday, there are no clusters. There's still a small shadow under the right lymph under the jaw, but it's hard to tell if it's residual cancer or just a blemish in the x-ray," he says proudly.

.

Hyde buries his head in his hands and starts to silently weep. Eric, also crying, pulls him into a huge bear hug.

.

"If you tell anybody about this, I will fucking kill you and deny everything," Hyde says, still crying.

.

"Ditto," Eric says, also crying.

.

"Glad to see you both so happy," the doctor says, shaking Hyde's hand.

.

"Does this mean we get to go home?" Eric asks excitedly.

.

"Well, we have to keep him a few more days to run some more tests and to make sure the shadow on the x-ray is just s shadow, but it shouldn't be more than a few days. You'll have a followup regime, of course, and scheduled checkups—but you can do those in Chicago," he says.

.

"I can't believe we're going home," Eric shakes his head. "I can't wait to see Luke," he says joyfully.

.

Hyde just looks at the floor.

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Donna sit on one side of the couch and the pregnancy tests rests in a teacup on the other side on the coffee table. Donna nervously eats ice cream while they both stare silently at the teacup.

.

"Is it time yet?" Jackie asks nervously.

.

"One more minute," Donna says.

.

"We are totally throwing that cup in the garbage after this," Jackie demands.

.

"Totally," Donna says in complete agreement.

.

"I don't think I can look at it," Jackie says covering her eyes.

.

"I'll do it," Donna says while grabbing the stick from the cup.

.

Jackie peeks at Donna through her fingers. Donna wears an apologetic look and tries to force a smile.

.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." Jackie chants, bringing her own mantra back from the dead as she pulls her suitcase down from the top shelf of the closet.

.

"Um, what are you doing?" Donna asks nervously.

.

"I've got to get out of here," she says as she starts filling up her suitcase with clothes.

.

"And go where?" Donna demands angrily to know.

.

"I don't know. New York? I talked to my boss about it once and he seemed to think he might be able to transfer me," she says, still packing.

.

"Why are you doing this now?" her friend asks.

.

"I am not going to be here when he gets back. If he gets back," Jackie says, correcting herself.

.

"And why is that? You think you can run from this?" she challenges her.

.

"Look, I know you're mad at Eric, but you and I both know that you will find a way to work it out. You always do," she says. "I, on the other hand, am never able to work anything out with anybody, and I just think my life would be a lot less complicated if it didn't involve him," she says, still refusing to use his name.

.

"Are you planning on keeping this baby?" Donna asks her pointedly.

.

Jackie nods her head yes. "I can't live with him, but I'll always love him."

.

"You don't want to do this alone, trust me. Let me help you like you helped me. We can do this together," She pleads.

.

"Donna, I've been alone my whole life basically. Now I won't be," she smiles. "We'll get by".

.

"Will you at least sleep on it? Only idiots make rash decisions without sleeping on it," she begs.

.

Jackie nods and puts the armful of clothes she's holding into the suitcase, then walks away from it and unlocks the front door.

.

"I need to clear my head," she says as she heads outside with her coat over her arm, letting the door shut itself behind her.

.

Donna frets nervously in the kitchen and then picks up the phone and dials. "Hi, it's me...yeah, she's fine...I need your help though...yes, though I'm fairly certain she'll disown me when she hears about this call..."

.

* * *

.

Hyde and Eric pack their bags as Leo and his partner smoke a joint on the floor.

.

"I'm really gonna miss you, man" Leo says to Hyde.

.

"Me too," Hyde smiles. "I owe you big time".

.

"Well, you did say you'd give Loud Girl my number, right?" he grins hopefully.

.

Hyde stops and hunches down next to Leo. "Leo, I'm in love with Loud Girl".

.

"I know that man, I just figured a little friendly competition never hurt anybody," Leo says. His partner nods his head, agreeing with him.

.

"I'll give her your number then. That is, if she'll ever speak to me again," he says as he zips the suitcase up.

.

"What did you do to her," Leo asks?

.

"I left her," he says blankly.

.

"Oh, ladies don't like it when you leave them. Just ask my wife," he says.

.

"Or my wife," Eric says as he zips his bag up.

.

Leo laughs. "Sounds like you guys are going to need a little film to take with you, eh?"

.

They both nod eagerly.

.

"Hold that thought," Leo says as he and his partner leave the room to retrieve the stash.

.

Hyde turns to Eric and says "There's a lot I want to say to you, but I suck at this".

.

"Yes you do," Eric laughs. "You don't have to say it man, I know".

.

"No brother, I don't think you'll ever know," he says as he gives Eric a bracing hug.

.

"I have to tell you something," Eric says slowly.

.

"Am I gonna be pissed?" Hyde asks.

.

"Just remember how much you loved me two minutes ago, okay?" Eric hesitates, not knowing where to start. "I didn't tell you this before, because I didn't want to upset you during treatment or have it drive you from town," he says. "That first night we were here, you thought the girls found us through my credit card charges".

.

"Yeah, nice going with that," Hyde cracks.

.

"Well, it was only part of the story. They knew we were headed South from the charges, but they were actually following another lead. Jackie had a postcard from Edna, and she tracked her down here," he says carefully.

.

"Edna is here?" Hyde asks as he falls back onto the bed to sit.

.

"Jackie found her, and they talked a while," he says.

.

"She always has to be a reporter," he says angrily.

.

"And then I spoke with her," Eric admits.

.

Hyde turns his head up at Eric with a look of pure betrayal. "You what?"

.

"She recognized me and we talked. She's clean now and she's really sorry for what she did," he continues.

.

"Good for her," mumbles Hyde.

.

"Come on, you can't say you never made any mistakes," Eric pushes.

.

"I never made any mistakes that big, I never left my own kid," he says.

.

"She's here, she wants to see you if you want to see her," Eric says hopefully.

.

"Well that's not gonna happen ever," he snaps.

.

"Okay, well I told you," Eric exhales deeply.

.

"Whatever," Hyde zens as he takes his case down from the bed.

.

* * *

.

Donna is sitting in the middle of the living room, changing Luke's diaper, with the phone to her ear.

.

"No Kelso, she never came back," she says. "If I knew where she went I wouldn't be calling would I? I just thought you could ask some of your old Chicago buddies to keep an eye out," she huffs. "You know what? Forget it. I've got this under control," she says as she angrily pushes the "end" button on the phone.

.

She looks at Luke, "I SO do not have this under control, buddy."

.

There is a knock at the front door.

.

"Come in! It's open. I'm elbow deep in poop!" Donna screams while wiping the baby.

.

"I was hoping you were speaking metaphorically," Angie says as she takes her coat off.

.

"Oh that too," she says sadly.

.

"I called Hyde like you asked," she says.

.

Donna panics, "You didn't tell him-"

.

"No! Of course not!" Angie yells.

.

"And what did he say?" Donna asks hopefully.

.

"He's on his way home. And he's cancer-free," she says, holding back her own tears.

.

Donna stands up and walks over to Angie with her arms out. "I'm so happy I could kiss you".

.

Angie looks down at Donna's hands with disgust, "I'm gonna take a rain check on that".

.

"I don't know where Jackie is. She was really upset. She could be anywhere, knowing her," Donna washes her hands at the sink.

.

"Maybe we should make a list of places she likes to go?" Angie suggests.

.

"Yeah, and then we can cross all of those places off our list, because she's too smart to do that," Donna says.

.

The phone rings and Donna answers it. "Yeah?" she barks and then is silent for a while, listening to the caller. "Thanks Kelso" she says flatly as she hangs up the phone.

.

Angie looks expectantly at her "Well?"

.

"Jackie cleaned out her bank account yesterday after she left here," Donna says as she starts to cry. "I really don't know how to help her at this point".

.

**A/N - Please review! And if you are enjoying this fic, please consider marking it as a favorite : )**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's the deal, I have been writing these chapters furiously, and I'm dying to put a few more up that I have already done, but I'm also dying to get feedback. Since this is only my 2nd FF - or 1st if you consider it's just a continuation of the other one - I could really use the comments, especially from you experienced FF people out there. It's tough writing in a bubble.**

**Thanks xox**

**.**

**CHAPTER 9**

**.**

Eric and Hyde pull up to Jackie's apartment building and park the car. Neither one said a word the final hour of the journey, because what kind of advice can one death row inmate give another? They both know full well they're toast and no amount of talking is going to help them smooth things over. The only option at this point is prayer, and that's pretty much a non-starter as far as Hyde is concerned.

.

As Hyde walks up to the familiar building, his one time home, he really doesn't know what kind of situation he'll be walking into. Angie called him a day before and told him to get his ass back to Chicago, but she didn't say why. He knows it must have something to do with Jackie, and for that reason alone, he's petrified – a feeling he's recently become intimately acquainted with.

.

Eric, on the other hand, is nursing a giant wound of regret. He's missed so much time with his son, that he worries if Luke will even remember him. Since Donna won't answer his calls, the only time he's had any contact with the little guy at all has been through Kitty when she babysits and puts him on the phone. The fact that Donna is now employed and refusing financial help only makes his position even weaker than it already is. Now jobless by choice until the Summer, Eric is hoping he'll be able to make things up to Luke, and if he's lucky, make some headway with Donna too.

.

As they walk down the long hallway to Jackie's door, Hyde realizes that he hasn't been this nervous coming here since that time he walked in on a half-dressed Kelso trying to seduce Jackie. That night ended with a sleep-over, but he's too smart to think that his visit is going to end that way today.

.

Eric knocks on the door apprehensively and shuffles his feet as he waits.

.

The sound of movement and Luke's excitable squealing come from inside.

.

As the door opens slowly, Donna peeks her head out to see who is there.

.

"Hey" Eric says, his body tingling with affection and happiness at the sight of her.

.

"Hey" she says flatly and beckons them inside with a limp hand.

.

Donna, carrying Luke around her front, shuts the door behind them and walks to the fridge. Eric gingerly touches Luke's hair as he passes by and the guys sit down at the kitchen table. Donna grabs two beers with her spare hand and drops them on the table unceremoniously.

.

"You're not having one?" Hyde asks.

.

"No," Donna says, as she hands Luke to Eric, exposing her 2nd trimester belly.

.

"Holy shit," Hyde exclaims, a little louder than he meant to.

.

Eric looks up from playing with his son and notices her bump.

.

"What the-?" he mumbles incoherently, stunned silent by the shock.

.

Hyde stands up, slides his beer over to Eric and starts for the door. "I think you need some time alone," he says. "Do you know where Jackie is?" he asks Donna.

.

"No Hyde. Nobody knows where Jackie is. Haven't you heard? She's gone off the grid," she says with a slight edge to her voice.

.

"What?" Hyde asks, panic building in his gut.

.

"Oh yeah, and just so you know, Eric's not the only one who's gonna be a daddy soon," she slips in maliciously. This last part was unplanned, but Donna figures Jackie is long gone, so it doesn't really matter whether he knows now or not.

.

"She's...?" Hyde leans against the wall for support as he feels his knees waver. Eric leaps up, with Luke in tow, and slides Hyde's chair out for him so he can sit.

.

Hyde makes his way back to the table and Eric glares at Donna, angry and shocked by her vicious ambush on Hyde.

.

Donna coolly grabs a ginger ale from the fridge, takes a seat, then smugly motions for the boys to join her again.

.

"How far along are you?" Eric asks her.

.

"17 weeks," she says. "I tried to tell you in the hospital the day Hyde was taken in, but we kept getting interrupted. And then you vanished, so..." she takes a swig of ginger ale from the bottle.

.

"You knew in New Orleans and you said nothing?" Eric demands to know.

.

"Would it have changed your mind?" she asks curtly.

.

"I-I don't know," Eric says, completely overwhelmed, "but I deserved to know."

.

"You know now. What's the difference?" Donna says casually.

.

Eric is on the verge of tears. He holds Luke close to him and kisses his head a few times.

.

Hyde is still staring at the floor in shock.

.

"You're awfully quiet," Donna comments.

.

"Jackie is really pregnant," he says in disbelief.

.

"I held the stick she peed on in my hand," she says, clearly relishing his discomfort.

.

Hyde drops his head into his hands, "You really don't know where she is?" he asks desperately.

.

"She wasn't exactly jumping for joy when she found out, Hyde. She basically got the news, cried hysterically, and then told me she was going for a walk to clear her head. That was days ago and nobody has heard from her since," she explains.

.

"How do you know she's not just at a friend's?" he wonders.

.

"She cleared out her bank account and took a leave of absence from work. Nobody knows where she's gone, not even the police. Believe me, I haven't slept more than a few hours since she left. I'm worried sick," Donna says angrily.

.

"If she had just told me..." Hyde starts.

.

"If she had just told you—then what? You practically left her at the altar! She followed you 1,000 miles and you refused to be with her when all she wanted to do was love you and take care of you. What on Earth makes you think she's interested in anything you have to offer her?" Donna is choking back tears at this point.

.

Eric slams his hand on the table. "Alright enough, Donna! He's had enough," he says the last part quietly.

.

"Is she keeping it?" Hyde asks, still in a daze.

.

"She said she would," Donna bites her lip to avoid saying anything else that might upset him.

.

Hyde stands up and heads for the door. "I'll meet you at Angie's, Forman. I need some air," he says as he walks through the front door.

.

Eric looks over at Donna with disappointment. She looks back at him with an indignant facade. Yes, she pissed, but she also feels kind of terrible for hurting Hyde as badly as she did. Most of that hostility was meant for Eric, but she didn't want to eviscerate him in front of his own son so she used Hyde as a surrogate. Even assholes deserve a little dignity where their kids are concerned, she figures.

.

"You can sleep on the couch if you want to stay longer and catch up with your son," she says as she walks into the bedroom and slams the door behind her.

.

* * *

.

Hyde unlocks the front door to the new Chicago Grooves record store and turns on the lights. He makes his way down the aisles of vinyl records, pick one out of the crowd, and brings it to the front.

.

Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On" comes blaring from the speakers. Hyde lights up a joint and takes his glasses off.

.

_**Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way.  
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.**_

.

He closes his eyes and remembers the first time he kissed Jackie on the hood of her daddy's Lincoln.

.  
_**But now it's time for me to go. The autumn moon lights my way.  
For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it's headed my way.  
Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I've got one thing I got to do...**_  
.

He remembers when they got together in the basement the Summer everyone was away.

.

_**Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.  
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.  
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,  
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.**_  
.

He remembers the first time Jackie told him she loved him and the sex that followed.

.  
_**Got no time to for spreadin' roots, The time has come to be gone.  
Although I helped you drank a thousand times, it's time to Ramble On.**_

.

He remembers how she rushed to the hospital when she thought he fell off the water tower and he knew he still had a shot with her.

.

_**Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.  
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.  
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,  
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.**_

.

He remembers holding her in his bed all night when she had nowhere to go.

.  
_**Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear.  
How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air.**_

.

He remembers kissing her for hours on Donna's bed.

.  
_**T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.  
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her...yeah.**_  
.

He remembers her dancing with him at the Phil Collins concert.

.  
_**Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.  
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.  
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,  
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.**_  
.

He remembers carrying her over his shoulder and making love to her in the basement of the Formans' house.

.  
_**Gonna ramble on, sing my song. Gotta keep-a-searchin' for my baby...  
Gonna work my way, round the world. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart**_

.

He remembers the last kiss they shared against the wall in the alley.

.

_**Gotta keep searchin' for my baby. I can't find my bluebird!**_

**.**

Hyde puts his glasses back on and switches off the music.

.

The door opens again and Angie walks in with a pained expression on her face.

.

Hyde looks at her and doesn't say a thing.

.

Angie crosses the room and embraces her brother for a long time. "I'm so sorry she's gone," she says while rubbing his back.

.

"I fucked up the best thing that ever happened to me. Again. And now she's gone and alone and she's..." he can't even finish the sentence. He rubs his hand over his mouth and tightens his jaw.

.

"And pregnant. Is that what you were going to say?" Angie asks.

.

"You knew?" he asks.

.

"Donna just called. I kind of suspected for a while. She did a lot of fainting for a perfectly healthy girl," she says.

.

"How was she while I was gone?" he says, hungry for more details.

.

"Not good, Steven," she says, "I think you may have broken her." She remembers Jackie's face that day she came to babysit Luke.

.

He puts his palms together on his forehead and looks his sister in the eyes with sheer desperation. "Please tell me what to do."

.

"Oh Steven. I really wish I could," Angie says with pity.

.

* * *

.

Hyde sits catatonically on a milk crate in the middle of an empty apartment and drinks whiskey out of the bottle.

.

The sound of a key in the lock starts, but the door just swings open on it's own, having never been fully shut.

.

"You might want to get that lock looked at," Eric jokes as he walks into the bare room.

.

Hyde looks up for a moment, then returns to his catatonic state.

.

Eric's face drops and worry starts to creep in. He'd been trying to keep Hyde off the edge of the abyss for months now and in a few short days he's completely fallen in.

.

"You still at Donna's?" Hyde finally mumbles in Eric's direction.

.

"Yeah. She's still letting me stay on the couch, but we haven't talked yet. And when I say we haven't talked, I mean, she literally hasn't said one word to me in three days. It's like she could teach a silent treatment class at Harvard," he says sadly.

.

"But you've been hanging out with Luke a lot?" Hyde asks.

.

"Yes. It's been great being with him. What have you been up to? From the looks of it you've been hanging out with your friend Jack," Eric says, gesturing to the bottle of whiskey his friend is holding.

.

He nods. "I'm also hanging out with Jose," he says in his typical disaffected tone.

.

Eric pulls up a milk crate and sits next to him. "You almost died Hyde, and you didn't. You got a second chance".

.

"I should have just died, because it would be better than living through this," he says as he takes a long chug from the bottle, finishing most of it off.

.

"Don't say that. We'll find a way to fix it," Eric promises.

.

"You don't get it, Forman!" Hyde shouts angrily. "Your wife is here, you can see her. You have a shot at winning her back, of seeing your kid born, a shot at a life! I have nothing!" he screams as he throws the bottle against the wall, shattering it into a hundred pieces.

.

Eric is truly frightened now by the depth of Hyde's despair and feels helpless to do anything about it. "You've gone to a dark place, man," Eric says quietly.

.

"Nah. This is where I live. I never belonged in the other place," Hyde says as he looks out of the large bay windows. "Just get out of here Forman. Go back to Donna. Save yourself".

.

Eric watches Hyde for a moment then heads for the door. "Don't do anything stupid," he pleads as he walks away.

.

"Too late," Hyde mumbles.

.

* * *

.

Eric walks in the door of Donna's apartment bearing flowers for her and a toy for Luke.

.

She glances in his direction and then returns her attention to her child.

.

"I also brought you a cannoli. I remember how much you liked to eat them the last time you were pregnant," he says as he places the bag on the kitchen table.

.

Donna looks down so Eric won't see her fighting the small smile that's creeping up on her face.

.

"Thanks Eric. Why don't you join us in the living room?" Eric says using a fake female voice. "Well, don't mind if I do," he answers in his own voice as he sits on the floor with his wife and child.

.

He hands Luke the new toy while Donna continues to ignore him.

.

Eric gazes at Donna like one might admire the Mona Lisa. She always looks so beautiful when she's pregnant. Her face looks a little fuller, her cheeks are always flushed pink and her hair is a fiery incarnation of her usual striking red.

.

Donna picks her head up and gives Eric a look that says "What are you looking at, asshole?".

.

He smiles lovingly in return. Even when she makes a face like that he can't help but find it adorable.

.

She narrows her eyes at him and shakes her head at his persistence.

.

He just smiles back in a knowing way, and tells her he loves her with his eyes.

.

Donna looks down again and a small, secret smile plays across her lips. It's barely there, but visible enough that Eric can see it. It's just a tiny curl of the lip rising up at the corners, but with it he can feel his prospects start to rise up as well.

.

* * *

.

Jackie, clad in a beautiful floral sarong over a bikini, lies down on a lounge chair and puts on a pair of sunglasses.

.

A waiter approaches her and asks in Spanish if he can get her anything but she just shakes her head no.

.

"Un mas cerveza, por favor," a woman screams in badly accented Spanish from the other side of Jackie.

.

Jackie turns her head and grimaces.

.

"You should eat something, darling" Pam says as she tucks a strand of Jackie's hair behind her ear.

.

"I'm fine mom. I don't really have an appetite," she says as she lays back and closes her eyes to take in the sunshine.

.

"Don't look so down, you'll get wrinkles," Pam advises as she rubs tanning lotion on her legs. "You just need a little color and a new man," she says while breathing in the sea air.

.

"I think a new man is probably the last thing I need," groans Jackie as she adjusts her pillow.

.

"A new man and a change of scenery does wonders for the spirit. And see, you're already halfway there," Pam winks and puts on her own sunglasses.

.

**A/N - What do you think? Happy to see dear old Pam return? Please leave a review and let me know-anons and newbies welcome!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Stick with me on the baby thing guys! I'm not using it as a deus ex machina, I ****promise. If anything, the baby will only drive them further apart.**

**.**

**CHAPTER 10**

.

Jackie and her mom are eating a'la fresco with Paolo, an older foreign gentleman and his handsome son Fernando.

.

The song "Groovy Kind Of Love" by Phil Collins plays over the restaurant speaks softly.

.

"Jackie is a newscaster for a major Chicago television station," Pam brags to the men.

.

"I'm just a field reporter," Jackie corrects.

.

"Well you're on TV every day and you look fabulous," Pam continues.

.

"But do you like your job? Looking good is nice, but this is the most important thing," Fernando says, surprising Jackie with his depth.

.

"Actually, I couldn't imagine doing anything else," she declares proudly.

.

"You're not having any wine?" Paolo asks as his hand hovers the bottle over her empty glass.

.

"No thanks. I'm cutting back," Jackie says.

.

Fernando gives her a look of support.

.

Pam glares at her daughter. "One glass won't kill you," she says as she manufactures a laugh and pours wine into her daughter's glass anyway.

.

Jackie stares off into the water, zoning out her mother, the dinner guests, and everything else around her. In some ways, being here has been a peaceful escape, where she hasn't has to think much about Steven or the baby or anything else that reality has to offer. Here in Mexico, Jackie can be whomever she wants to be, and it's liberating, even if it is just a fleeting mirage.

.

Pam excuses herself to the ladies room and grabs her daughter's hand to bring her along.

.

As they walk into the bathroom, Pam turns on Jackie with a vengeance. "What do you think you're doing, Jackie?" she shrieks shrilly in her ear.

.

"Eating dinner?" Jackie responds, puzzled.

.

"Look at yourself, you're getting chubbier by the minute. You don't have time to play around. If you want to find somebody to take care of you you need to work quickly," she warns.

.

"I don't need anybody to take care of me mom," Jackie counters.

.

"God, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Raising a kid is hard," Pam warns.

.

"How would you know? I was raised by nannies," Jackie counters angrily.

.

"Exactly! We Burkhart women aren't meant to do the grunt work of motherhood. What are you going to do with no husband, no nanny and no grandparents around to speak of?" she challenges.

.

"I hadn't thought of it that way," Jackie says somberly.

.

"There is a perfectly nice young man out there who is cute and has money and wants a visa to live in America. Do you want a father for your baby?" she asks her pointedly.

.

"My baby has a father," she says, not exactly sure of her own answer.

.

Pam casts her eyes down at her daughter and smirks. "Get real, honey. Even if Steven does survive, we both know he's not sticking around for long," she says as she fixes her makeup and opens the door to the bathroom.

.

Jackie signals for her mom to go ahead and takes a long look at herself in the vanity mirror of the bathroom. Her face looks the same, young even, but she barely recognizes herself. She rubs her hands along her bloated tummy and thinks it feels like somebody else's body. It's as if she's been having an out of body experience for the past month, and she can't seem to regain control of her host.

.

Jackie knows she'll never love anybody like she loves Steven, but she also knows the hard way that love doesn't put food on the table or kiss you in at night. She leans forward and applies a new coat of lip gloss, puckers her mouth and forces herself to do what's best for the baby.

.

* * *

.

It's midnight and Donna is standing in the doorway of her bedroom wearing a nightgown. She walks into the kitchen and notices that the entire room has been filled with yellow roses, her favorite.

.

She pours herself a drink of water and walks into the living room. Her husband and her son are curled up together sleeping. She knows she shouldn't feel this way, but a sense of peace washes over her for the first time in months.

.

She can't help it. Eric is her first love, her only love, and there will never be another like him. He's proven himself an idiot time and time again, yet she's still desperate to speak to him and touch him. How can she get past it all and still keep her pride? He chose his friend over her. There's no way to gloss over this nasty fact, but why should she deny herself the one thing that makes her happiest above all?

.

She stands there staring at him, ruminating over her conundrum, when his dark eyes open and meet hers.

.

"Are you okay?" he asks her, concerned that she might be feeling unwell.

.

"I don't know," she says, and takes another sip of water.

.

A coy smile spreads across Eric's face. She's finally spoken to him. It took a month, but it's happened.

.

"Don't look so smug," she says with fake indignation.

.

"I'm not smug, I'm happy. I really missed the sound of your voice," he smiles and settles back into sleep with his son.

.

* * *

.

Hyde is sleeping on a cot in the middle of is still unfurnished apartment. He's having a nightmare, and when he finally frees himself from it's grasp, he's sweaty and breathless.

.

He pulls a picture of Jackie out from under his pillow and presses it to his forehead, then shoves it back under and tries to head back to sleep.

.

* * *

.

There is a loud knock at the door that doesn't seem to end. Hyde, still a little hung over from the night before, staggers out of bed and opens the door.

.

"What?" he barks as he sees Kelso waiting there to greet him.

.

"Good morning sunshine," Kelso says sarcastically as he walks into the place, carrying two cups of coffee.

.

"Fuck off man," Hyde grumbles as he takes one of the coffee cups from Kelso's hand.

.

Kelso walks around surveying the room and winces. "I really like what you've done with the place".

.

Hyde glares at him and shakes his head. "Have you come here to stare at the freak?"

.

Kelso exhales, trying to release the stench of pity from his body. "No man, I'm here to repay a debt".

.

"I'm impressed you know what the word debt means," Hyde says with total seriousness.

.

"Brooke told me before I got in the car," he brags as he sits on the edge of the bed and notices the picture of Jackie half under the pillow. "Hey, do you remember when we were both fighting over Jackie?" Kelso asks lifting up the picture.

.

"I don't think I could possibly forget it, man, because it went on for years," he says grabbing it back.

.

"There was one time," Kelso starts, "when she dumped us both and I told you I was going to go get her, and you said 'whatever'..."

.

Hyde interrupts, "Yeah...and you said 'that's what I'm counting on'."

.

"You remember?" he says, impressed that Hyde is lucid enough to handle details.

.

"I remember I wanted to kick your ass," he says smiling.

.

"This apartment, your whole life since you got back, has been one big 'whatever' Hyde," he says, desperate to make a point.

.

"What am I supposed to do man? She's gone. Nobody knows where she is, and I'm the douchebag who set it all in motion," Hyde announces with mock pride.

.

"If Jackie walked in here today, do you think she'd want to be with you, seeing you like this?" Kelso asks.

.

"She's never coming back," Hyde says, defeated.

.

"Of course she is, and you need to be ready. Don't make the same mistake twice, Hyde," he says.

.

"You and I both know she can do better than me," Hyde says dismissively.

.

"For whatever messed up reason, she loves you a lot. She even loved you when she was with me. I may not be the brightest guy, but I do have eyes," he says.

.

Hyde smirks.

.

"Don't hit me in the eye man, I've gotta drive home" Kelso begs.

.

Hyde holds his hands up in surrender.

.

"Seriously, dude. You're already gotten way too many chances with her. Girls like Jackie don't just grow on trees," he says, then laughs. "That would be awesome if they did though, right?" he says beatifically, clearly imagining a girl tree.

.

Hyde nods his thanks at Kelso, unable to speak the words.

.

Kelso stands up and puts his hands on Hyde's shoulders. "Stop being an asshole, dude. And shave your skeevy beard already because you look like a homeless person."

.

Hyde slams Kelso in the arm really hard.

.

"Ow! Did that cheer you up?" he wonders eagerly.

.

Hyde grins. "A little bit".

.

"Well alright then," Kelso smiles as he leaves the apartment.

.

Hyde sits on his bed and looks around the apartment, searching for inspiration. Amazingly, he realizes Kelso is right. He's been 'whatever' for far too long and it's starting to take it's toll. There is no way in hell Jackie would go back to him the way he is now, and there's no way, in good conscience, he'd even let her. He didn't deserve her, this he knew. But he is going to find a way to make himself into the kind of man that does deserve her-and that guy is going to win her back or die trying.

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Fernando walk along the seaside holding hands. He picks up a sand dollar, wipes it off and hands it to her.

.

"Thanks," she smiles. "My mom would love this. She loves anything with the word dollar in it," she laughs.

.

Fernando smiles kindly at her, leans forward and kisses her gently.

.

"What are you thinking? You always look a little bit sad," he says.

.

"Well Fernando, I think I am a little bit sad. After all, I did come to Mexico to forget somebody," she admits.

.

"And have you?" he says as he moves a hair out of her face.

.

She thinks hard for a moment and smiles, "I don't know if I'll ever forget him, but you've certainly proven yourself to be a nice distraction," she says as she kisses him back.

.

"I hope I'm more than that. Have you thought about my offer at all?" he wonders.

.

She shakes her head yes. "I've told you everything and you're still here. You stuck around. I really can't think of a better person to make a life with than that," she decides as she kisses him again.

.

He smiles broadly and picks her up off the ground and kisses her again.

.

* * *

.

Donna is in her pajamas making coffee. Eric is in the other room with Luke wrestling on the floor.

.

The phone rings a few times and Donna screams "I'll get it!" as she runs to pick it up. "Hello?"

.

There is a silence for a moment, and then Jackie speaks "Hey".

.

Donna's eyes widen as she runs into the bedroom to speak covertly to her friend.

.

"Oh my God are you okay?" she whispers intensely.

.

"I'm more than okay. I'm great actually," Jackie beams.

.

"Really?" Donna asks puzzled. "Where the hell are you?"

.

"I'm in Acapulco with Pam," she says.

.

"Holy crap, Jackie! It's been a month and I've been worried sick about you!" Donna says angrily.

.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I think I was just in shock and needed to get away to deal with everything," she explains.

.

"Well, are you really okay?" Donna wonders.

.

"I really am. For the first time in months, I feel happy," Jackie smiles.

.

"Wow. You do sound good," she says.

.

"How about you? Is Eric is back," Jackie asks.

.

"He is actually. They got back a month ago," she says, knowing full well Jackie would catch the plural pronoun.

.

"It must be weird for you," she says sympathetically.

.

"Things are...progressing," Donna says as she sneaks a peek at her boys. "I'm letting him stay on the couch".

.

"I'm glad to hear that. I know you're pissed off, but Eric is a good guy and he really does love you," she says.

.

"Wow," Donna says laughing, "You're possibly the last person I expected to sing Eric's praises".

.

"You know, I'm a big picture type of girl now," she smiles. "Um..." Jackie is about to tell her something but changes her mind.

.

"Are you still there Jackie?" Donna asks nervously.

.

"Yes," Jackie responds, her voice cracking with emotion.

.

"Eric didn't come back alone," Donna divulges.

.

"I can't hear about that right now," she says.

.

"Fair enough. Are you planning on coming home?" Donna prods.

.

"As a matter of fact, I'm coming home tomorrow," Jackie says.

.

Donna is overjoyed with this news and begins to cry. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you're coming home. I really missed you!"

.

Jackie starts to cry as well, "I missed you too. You have no idea."

.

* * *

.

Donna waits in the lobby of O'Hare airport, waiting to pick Jackie up. Eric is with her and holds Luke on his shoulders, who is wearing a welcome home sign.

.

People from the Acapulco flight start to filter out. Eventually, a tanned Jackie appears and waves wildly to Donna and Eric. Suddenly, she turns back and grabs the hand of somebody, pulling them through the customs line.

.

Donna and Eric's mouths drop and Jackie walks hand in hand towards them with the dashing Argentinean man.

.

"Hey!" Donna says, slipping her arms around Jackie's neck, pulling her close. "Who the hell is that?" she whispers.

.

"I'll tell you later," Jackie whispers back giddily as she grabs Luke off of Eric's shoulders to cradle him.

.

Eric looks suspiciously at Fernando and extends his arm. "Hi, I'm Eric Forman, and this is my wife Donna," he says as Fernando shakes his hand with gusto.

.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Fernando Rey, and this is my wife Jackie," he says as he pulls her close to him.

.

Eric and Donna stare at them in complete shock.

.

"I'm so happy to be home!" Jackie says as she smothers Luke with kisses.

.

Donna digs her nails into Eric's arm and curses silently.

.

**A/N - What do you think? Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

********Some content on this page is rated M for sexual content**

**.**

****There's a "special" scene at the end of this chapter for schottzie and ****twentysevenseconds and all of you other E/D fans out there.**

**.**

**CHAPTER 11**

.

You got married? Are you freaking crazy?" Donna yells at the top of her lungs.

.

"Shh!" Jackie scolds, "He's going to hear you".

.

"I don't care if everybody in Chicago hears me. This is about the dumbest thing you've ever done, and that's saying a lot".

.

"You were the one who said it would be too hard for me to raise a baby by myself," she says.

.

"I meant for you to move in with me, not for you to up and marry Fernando Llamas," she says, exasperated. Donna starts to pace around the room. "Does he even know about" she lowers her voice to a whisper "...the baby?"

.

"Of course he knows about the baby. This isn't Dynasty," Jackie says as she flops down on to the bed.

.

"He doesn't have a problem with raising another man's kid?" she asks skeptically, cocking her head to literally look at Jackie sideways.

.

"He's a good guy Donna, and by some miracle he loves me. It took me a month to get Fernando to do what Steven couldn't in ten years," she asserts.

.

"There's no way he loves you the way Hyde does," Donna informs her.

.

"Yeah, well Fernando is here and Steven isn't. Theoretical love doesn't rub your feet or get you a glass of water in the middle of the night when you're nine months pregnant," she quips.

.

Donna flops down on the bed next to Jackie. "Are you happy?"

.

Jackie thinks about it for a minute. "You know, I'm as happy as I thought I'd ever be".

.

They both silently lie back on the bed, side by side.

.

Donna starts singing ABBA "Can you hear the drums Fernando? I remember long ago another starry night like this..."

.

Jackie giggles, then turns on her side and flicks Donna in the arm. "You've been dying to do that since I introduced him".

.

"You know me well," Donna grins. "Ya know, I think this is the first time I've ever seen you with a little belly," Donna says smiling as she pats Jackie's bulge.

.

"We both know I can't say the same of you," Jackie responds, also smiling.

.

* * *

.

Eric and Fernando sit awkwardly together on the couch drinking beer.

.

"So...uh...what line of work are you in, Fernando?" Eric asks, trying to be polite.

.

"My family owns a vineyard. I manage the brand," he says.

.

"Huh," Eric says, impressed. "Sounds pretty exciting".

.

"It can be. And you?" Fernando asks.

.

"I teach English at a Community College in Wisconsin, but I'm on a leave of absence, so I'm just hanging with my one year old. Also pretty exciting," he deadpans.

.

"You took a maternity leave?" Fernando questions, not sure if he heard Eric correctly.

.

"Paternity. For men it's called paternity leave," he takes another swig of beer, then quickly adds "but that's not why I took time off. I did it to help my...well, he's not technically my brother, but we were raised together...anyway, he was receiving cancer treatments," he babbles nervously. Between Fernando's suave exterior and his accomplished career, Eric is developing a raging inferiority complex at an alarming rate.

.

"That's very admirable of you. Loyalty means a great deal to me," Fernando says intensely, while looking directly into Eric's eyes.

.

Was this a mafia-style threat? A compliment? Was he coming on to him? Eric wasn't sure what the hell that statement meant, but he was finding it impossible not to fall under Fernando's spell himself. He takes a mental note to keep Fernando as far away from Donna as possible.

.

Fernando nods approvingly at Eric then flashes his devastating smile. Eric is pretty sure Hyde is going to want to kick this guy's ass all the way back to Argentina, if he can resist falling in love with him first.

.

* * *

.

Hyde, clean-shaven now and wearing a suit, walks into Angie's office at Grooves.

.

"I got the clearances you were after for the commercial," he happily informs her.

.

"Really? You sly fox, you beat me to it," she smiles.

.

"Nah, I'm just better at this job than you," he teases as he sits on the edge of desk and starts playing with her portable stress ball.

.

"Somebody's lookin' very choice," she says looking him up and down approvingly.

.

"Figured it was time to look like I actually work here rather than loiter at the front," he cracks, pumping the ball a few times in his hand.

.

"Well, you look like more of a dad wearing a suit," she assesses.

.

Hyde's mood drops at the mention of his impending kid.

.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to bum you out," Angie frowns.

.

"No worries. Like Forman once told me, 'it is what it is'. Words to live by," he says, not allowing the mask to slip.

.

"Hyde, I don't know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it," she says, prepping him for a whopper.

.

"Lay it on me," he dares her with a grin.

.

"Donna told me that she's picking Jackie up from the airport today," Angie blurts out, then braces herself for the fallout.

.

"Cool," Hyde says with no emotion as he stands up and tosses the stress ball back to Angie.

.

"That's it?" she wonders, holding her breath.

.

"For now," he says as he leaves her office.

.

* * *

.

Donna clears the table of the remaining plates as people finish dinner.

.

Eric notices her clearing and gives her an annoyed look. "Donna, sit down. I'll do that," he says standing up to help.

.

"Eric, I'm not made of glass," she complains.

.

"I don't care, I want you to get off your feet," he insists.

.

"I was doing this long before you got back and I didn't break," she answers back.

.

Eric gives her a knowing look. "Well I'm back now," he says tenderly as he takes the stack of plates away, slightly brushing her hand in the process.

.

"Okay," she nods and momentarily flashes a small smile before returning to her seat. Donna tries to regain her composure, but something about the way Eric looked at her just now has her flushed and bothered. She pulls her collar closer to her neck, since she can feel herself getting splotchy.

.

"A true friend and a gentleman too," Fernando assesses. "Donna has done well for herself," he comments to Jackie as he sends a wink Donna's way.

.

"She's not the only one," Jackie smiles lovingly as she rests her hand on his leg.

.

Feeling the need to distract herself, Donna changes the subject. "So, do you have a place to stay?" she asks.

.

"Well, we were planning on finding a hotel for the night," Jackie mentions.

.

"Come on. You have to stay here. Your name is still on the lease, you know," she says.

.

Jackie looks expectantly at Fernando, who nods his approval. "One night," she says, "but then we really need to find our own place. I have to start work again in a week".

.

"Wow, that's soon," Eric comments.

.

"They only let me have six weeks off for disability," she explains.

.

"Disability?" Donna asks, confused as to what Jackie's ailment might be.

.

"I told them I was having heart trouble," she laughs, "which wasn't, like, a total lie at the time".

.

* * *

.

Hyde walks into his loft-style apartment with a large bag and shuts the door behind him.

.

The place is furnished now, clearly done by a professional, as the taste-level is high and the décor mature and sophisticated.

.

He grabs a Dr. Pepper out of the fridge, pops it open, and takes a long sip.

.

He carries the bag with him as he gazes out of his bay windows for a moment, then continues walking towards a small, walled off area of the room.

.

He opens the door and hits the light switch, revealing a tiny room with a rocking chair and a well-appointed crib in the back.

.

He pulls a large teddy bear from the bag he's carrying and places it gently into the corner of the crib, then turns the light off and shuts the door behind him.

.

* * *

.

Jackie gives Donna a long hug goodnight and laughs "It's getting harder to hug you with your fat belly in the way," she teases her.

.

"Just you wait and see how hard it is to hug me when you also have a fat belly," Donna retorts.

.

"Shut your mouth!" Jackie cries, only half-joking.

.

"Goodnight Beula," Donna says, sticking her tongue out.

.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite," Jackie says as she gives Donna sexy eyes and then glances at Eric. Donna gives her an angry glare.

.

Jackie and Fernando retreat to the couch as Eric and Donna shut themselves in the bedroom.

.

* * *

.

Donna walks across the room to check behind the makeshift wall she created for Luke's sleeping area.

.

She gives Eric a thumbs up and tip toes back over to where he's standing.

.

"Where do you want me to sleep?" he asks, gesturing to the floor.

.

"Eric, come on. You don't have to sleep on the floor. You have a lot of practice not touching me from high school, so you can sleep in the bed but keep your hands to yourself," she warns.

.

Eric crosses his heart, then sits on the bench at the foot of the bed and takes his shoes off.

.

He watches Donna brush her long red hair over and over again, wishing he could run his fingers through it. He's never seen her looking so radiant and content.

.

The first time around, Donna was so nervous about the pregnancy that she never seemed to truly relax. After Luke was born, she fell into a deep depression that lasted well over a whole year. During that time, they drifted apart, though neither wanted to acknowledge it. Nothing made her happy, and as a result he couldn't seem to say or do anything right in her eyes. Eric slowly grew to resent and avoid her.

.

Though he didn't realize it at the time, running off with Hyde was his way of putting distance between them, both physically and otherwise. He needed a break from her misery, and since he knew he would never divorce her, it seemed like a pretty good excuse to get away for a while to clear his head.

.

One thing he didn't count on was how lost he would feel with her not around. Over the years, he and Donna had become happily codependent, and being without her felt to him almost as drastic as having his legs amputated. By the time Hyde's treatment was ending, he was determined to return to her, regardless of his friend's prognosis. It took him a while, but he finally realized with certainty that even at their worst, he was still happier with her than without her.

.

The big surprise of it all is how much better she seems to be doing since shedding him. When he looks at her now it's almost like he's time traveled to high school. She's back to exuding that heady mix of confidence, intelligence and mischief that made him fall hopelessly in love with her as a young kid.

.

Eric unzips his fly, drops his jeans and steps out of them.

.

Donna sneaks a peek at his ass as he bends down to retrieve the pants from the floor. He looks good, she thinks, more Eric-y, for lack of a better word. He'd been so grey before he left that she was relieved in some ways to have him out of the house.

.

She wore away all of the considerable charm he once had with her near-constant hostility towards him. Donna knew at the time that none of it was his fault, but she was isolated at home with the baby, and he was the only one around so he easily caught the brunt of it. She didn't intend to damage him, but she felt damaged herself, and he was the architect of her misery by the sheer act of getting her pregnant.

.

Now that she feels more like herself, she's starting to appreciate Eric the way she used to. When he left, she was irate, but she now suspects his leaving may have actually saved their marriage.

.

"Did you just check out my ass?" Eric asks her with a smirk.

.

"No!" she quickly responds, then a flush of embarrassment overcomes her face, "Maybe" she relents.

.

"I can't blame you, as I am a tempting morsel," he teases, sauntering towards the bed.

.

"Alright, get over it," she sniffs as she tries to hide her impending red splotches.

.

Eric picks up the edge of his t-shirt and looks coyly up at her. "Should I? Do I dare?" he says melodramatically as he raises his shirt almost above his head.

.

"Why would I care?" she says, shutting him down. Donna watches him remove his shirt and tells herself that this platonic sleeping arrangement may be harder to accomplish than she originally thought.

.

Donna motions for Eric to turn his back so she can get undressed.

.

He flips around, enjoying the knowledge that she's stripping down just a few feet behind him. He wonders for a moment if her skin tastes the way it used to, but banishes all of those urges since trying would be suicide. He did, however, notice that her chest was getting splotchy, which only happens when Donna blushes. Maybe he was getting to her after all?

.

Now in a satin slip that clings in all the right places, Donna slides under the covers. "Okay," she says, giving him the all-clear.

.

Eric lifts the covers to get into bed and notices her slip. "Nice platonic sleeping outfit," he says sarcastically. "Are you trying to kill me?" He slides into bed next to her and can immediately tell he's not going to be able to fall asleep any time soon.

.

"This old thing? It's all I have that still fits me," she says, lying through her teeth.

.

"Uh-huh," he responds with skepticism. "Maybe we should turn off the lights, then so I don't have to see it".

.

She leans over and flips the switch off on the night table lamp. They lie side by side, neither one moving, both stirring inside and afraid to betray their feelings by breathing too hard.

.

"Donna?" Eric says timidly.

.

"Mm-hmm," she responds, not knowing what to anticipate.

.

"I know I haven't said this, but I'm really sorry I left, and I do regret it," he says sincerely.

.

Donna rolls over on her side to face him. "I'm not sorry you left, and I'm not mad anymore," she admits.

.

Eric rolls over to face her as well. "You're not?" asks Eric, truly surprised.

.

"I know I was hard to be around. I should have gotten help instead of making you hate me," she says.

.

"How could you possibly think I would ever hate you?" he wonders, slightly disturbed that she had this in her head. "I needed a break, but I love you and always will. You're the best thing that ever happened to me" he says honestly.

.

"You still think that?" she asks, unsure of his words.

.

"Well, I don't know any other smart, sexy redheads, who can read my thoughts, make me laugh so hard I shoot milk through my nose, and have the generosity of spirit to endure my perverted Star Wars dress-up fantasies. None that will have sex with me at least," he jokes.

.

"Eric!" she complains, and playfully pushes his arm.

.

They stare at each other for a moment, then he grabs her face and kisses her softly.

.

"Sorry for violating the no-touching rule," he says.

.

Donna smiles. "No you're not".

.

"No, I'm really not," Eric says as he kisses her again.

.

"Well," she says holding his hands to her face, "since it's already broken, it probably won't make that much of a difference then if I do this," she says as she slides his hands down to her breasts.

.

Eric nods, agreeing with her. "Probably not. And I'm guessing it won't matter too much then if I did something like this," he says as he slides one hand under her slip, sliding one finger inside of her.

.

Donna's breathing becomes more rapid. "I think maybe this was a really bad rule".

.

"How bad?" he asks as he slips another finger inside of her, causing her to gasp.

.

"Very very bad," she smirks at him before sliding her own hand down the front of his underwear.

.

Eric grows hard in her hand as she starts to massage him there. "I would have to agree with that assessment, Mrs. Forman," he moans as he moves his fingers in and out of her slowly.

.

"Oh my God, Eric, I missed you," Donna cries as she knocks his hand away and straddles him firmly.

.

"I'm really glad to be back," he says as he slips inside of her, causing her to cry out in a moan.

.

"Shut up and fuck me already, Eric" she says as she slides two fingers in his mouth to stop his talking.

.

Eric nods his head vigorously, determined to show his wife what she's been missing these past few months.

.

**A/N - You know what to do-review review review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks so much to all of you who have.**

**xox**

**.**

**CHAPTER 12**

.

Eric and Donna file into the kitchen , looking well and obviously sexed.

.

Jackie, busy making coffee, raises an eyebrow in Donna's direction as they exit the bedroom.

.

"Where is el Niño?" Fernando asks.

.

"He's still sleeping," Donna says.

.

"Must be a heavy sleeper," Jackie mumbles under her breath.

.

Donna and Eric exchange knowing glances as she purposely brushes past him to get the mugs.

.

"Allow me, m'lady," Eric says as he reaches up to get the mugs from the top shelf.

.

"Thank you," Donna says with a coquettish smile before rewarding him with a small kiss.

.

Jackie smiles then rolls her eyes. "I take it things are back to normal then?"

.

"Define normal," Eric says as he covertly squeezes Donna's butt.

.

Donna clears her throat and smacks his hand away. "So, what are you two up to today?"

.

"Well, Fernando is going to look at a few apartments for us, and I'm going to your doctor," Jackie says.

.

"Do not tell me this is your first doctor's visit," Donna scolds her.

.

Jackie looks guilty.

.

"Oh boy, you're already in your 2nd trimester. What are you waiting for?" Donna says frustrated with her friend.

.

Jackie shrugs "I didn't know any doctors who spoke English in Acapulco, and I doubt any of them had ultrasound machines handy".

.

"Still..." Donna says with disapproval.

.

"I only just found out I was pregnant five weeks ago. Chill out!" she whines.

.

"Alright. I don't have a show until late tonight, so I'm going with you. Clearly you need somebody to walk you through this," she says.

.

Jackie smiles, "Thank you".

.

"Yes, thank you," Fernando says, flashing Donna his megawatt smile as he pulls Jackie close to him.

.

* * *

.

Jackie is sitting on the table in the OBGYN's office, wearing a medical gown.

.

"It's hella-cold in here," she complains.

.

"Get used to it, because you're going to be naked a lot until this baby comes out," Donna informs her.

.

"I'm not putting my feet in these stirrups until the very last second," she complains again, "and I'm keeping my socks on".

.

"I don't know," Donna smiles wickedly, "there's something about them that's kind of kinky".

.

Jackie snorts loudly. "Oh gross. Ugh. I just got an image of your dweeb husband doing something naked and disturbing with stirrups. Now I need to go bleach my brain."

.

Donna is laughing hysterically. "You and Fernando aren't kinky?" she wonders.

.

"The sex is fine," Jackie assures her.

.

"Fine? That sounds mind-blowing," she says sarcastically.

.

"Not everybody has a sci-fi loving freak show for a husband who finds ways to work the phrase 'anal probe' into daily conversation," Jackie digs.

.

Donna suddenly feels overwhelmed by sadness for her best friend. She can tell by the way she talks about him, even by the way she just says his name, that she's not in love with Fernando. The irony is that Fernando is totally Jackie's type, and were her heart not shattered into a million pieces, she'd probably be the happiest woman alive.

.

Donna starts, "As you know, your child's father is back in town..."

.

Jackie freezes. "I know. I've been too frightened to ask. Is he...?"

.

"The treatment worked," she says to answer Jackie's unasked question.

.

Jackie is overwhelmed by relief and buries her face in her hands to weep.

.

Donna gets out of her chair and rubs Jackie's back gently.

.

"I was so scared. It's why I haven't mentioned his name at all," she says, still emotional. "I thought if I didn't say his name I could pretend all of this wasn't happening".

.

Donna wraps her arms around Jackie and lets her friend literally and figuratively cry on her shoulder. "Are you planning on seeing him at all?"

.

"No way. I can't handle that right now,"Jackie shakes her head.

.

"You don't think he should be included in this?" Donna asks.

.

"If he wants to see the baby when it's born that's okay, but there's no reason for me to see him before then. I'm married now. My husband can come with me to my doctor's appointments," she explains, clearly having thought about this scenario before.

.

"Okay," Donna says sounding disappointed, but not wanting to push the issue right now.

.

"He doesn't know, does he?" she suddenly becomes guarded.

.

Donna looks down at the ground and feels like the worst friend in the world.

.

"Oh my God, Donna you didn't!" she brings her hands up to her mouth, horrified. "How could you!" she screams, practically foaming at the mouth.

.

"I was just so mad when they came back, and wanted to hurt them. I didn't know where you'd gone or if you were ever coming back. It was wrong, and I knew it as soon as the words came out of my mouth," Donna pleads, "Please know I didn't do this to hurt you".

.

Jackie softens. This wasn't what she wanted or how she planned to do it, but nothing has exactly gone according to plan, and Donna's been the only constant in her life all year. She's pretty sure her friend would give her a kidney if she needed one, and she doesn't have too many friends at the organ donation level, so who is she to alienate somebody who cares about her that much?

.

"Okay," she says, suddenly calm.

.

Donna comes out from behind her hands. "Okay, you'll grant me one last wish before you kill me or okay Donna, you're forgiven?"

.

"The second one, doofus," Jackie sighs.

.

Still uneasy, Donna says "I feel like you're laying the groundwork for an elaborate trap".

.

"He would have found out eventually. I mean look at me, I'm ginormous," she says, clearly fishing for compliments.

.

"No Jackie, you can't even tell you're pregnant," Donna lies badly.

.

"Really? Thanks," Jackie smiles, choosing to accept the lie.

.

"We've been waiting here forever. Do you want me to go check on the doctor?" Donna asks.

.

"Yessssssss," Jackie says as she gingerly places one foot into the stirrups with a look of disgust.

.

Donna leaves the room and shuts the door behind her. As she turns the corner, she nearly slams face first into Hyde.

.

* * *

.

"Jesus Christ! You have got to be kidding me," a livid Donna whispers at him harshly.

.

Hyde, looking startled, is carrying a bouquet of peonies, Jackie's favorite flowers.

.

Donna grabs him by his leather jacket and pulls him into another hallway. "What on Earth are you doing here, Hyde?"

.

"I came to see Jackie. Forman told me she was going with you to the doctor," he says innocently.

.

"Is that all Eric told you?" Donna asks, trying to decipher if he knows about Fernando yet.

.

"There's more? Are you going for bagels afterwards too or something?" he says jokingly.

.

Donna grabs his arm and tries to walk him out of the office. "This is a really horrible idea, Hyde. Trust me".

.

Hyde takes off his glasses and hooks them on his shirt. "I've gotta see her, Donna," he begs, looking up at her with the softest eyes she'd ever seen him sport.

.

"I know," she says understandingly, "but not now and definitely not here".

.

"I'll do anything she wants. Please just get her to talk with me," he asks earnestly.

.

"Not here," Donna insists. "Look, if you leave now, I'll see if I can steal one of the ultrasound pictures for you".

.

Hyde's mood brightens a bit. "I'd really like that," he says.

.

"Great. Go home now, and I'll call you after we're done," she says. "Oh, and promise me you won't talk to anybody before I call you. Not even Eric," she insists.

.

"Okay..." Hyde answers suspiciously. "Donna, is there something I should know?"

.

"Yes, but you're not going to hear a word until you go home," she says, really pushing to get him out.

.

"Okay okay. You pregnant ladies can be such pushy bitches," he complains as he leaves the office.

.

Jackie opens the door of the exam room and looks around. "Is somebody out here?" she calls out.

.

* * *

.

"Just me!" Donna says as she pops back into the room. "They said it should be too much longer".

.

Jackie and Donna wait patiently until the doctor comes in. Jackie has her exam and is finally guided into position for her ultrasound.

.

"I'm really nervous," she says as she squeezes Donna's hand tightly.

.

"It doesn't hurt," she assures her.

.

"No, I'm just nervous because once I see the baby I'll know this is all real," she says, her mouth pulling into an ambiguous slant.

.

The doctor squeezes the gel on Jackie's belly and rolls the wand over her skin.

.

"I'm going to turn on the volume now," he says as he flips the switch.

.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Jackie can hear the rhythmic swishing of her child's heartbeat.

.

"Oh my God," she cries, looking at Donna, who is also crying. "That's really my baby!"

.

"Looks like you're measuring at around 16 weeks, which would coincide with the date of you last period. Would you like some pictures?"

.

Jackie nods vigorously, still crying. Donna hands her a tissue and she blows her nose.

.

"This is amazing. I can't believe there's a person in there who is half me," she says.

.

"And half Steven," Donna adds.

.

"Yeah" Jackie says flatly.

.

* * *

.

Jackie walks into the apartment and grabs a bottle of fizzy water from the refrigerator.

.

Eric hears her enter and shuts his bedroom door softly behind him as he joins her in the kitchen.

.

"Napping?" Jackie asks, pointing to the room.

.

"I just put him down," he says. "So, how'd it go?"

.

"It was amazing," Jackie says, a huge smile spreading across her face. "It didn't seem real before, but now there's this other person, and I just love her so much and I don't even know her yet," she gushes.

.

"Her?" he smiles, finding Jackie's enthusiasm contagious.

.

"I don't know, it's just a feeling I have," she says. "Or wishful thinking".

.

"Is that all that happened today?" Eric asks, trying to make it seem like a harmless question.

.

"Well, they also took like a pint of blood out of my arms. I look like a pack of vampires got to me," she jokes, showing him her bruised arms.

.

"Ouch," he says sympathetically.

.

"I'm glad you're back Forman," Jackie says.

.

Eric seems a bit shocked by that disclosure. "Don't tell me you missed me?"

.

"Hell no. But Donna did, and now that you're back, she's really happy. I mean, if anybody needed to get boinked it was her," she says. "I'm going to go lie down on the couch.

.

"Jackie," Eric stops her, "You know you can't avoid him forever".

.

"I know," she says pensively, "but I'm happy right now and I don't want to lose this feeling. Steven hasn't made me feel happy in a long time," she says as she finds the couch.

.

* * *

.

Hyde waits by the bay windows of his apartment, looking for Donna's car to appear. Eventually she pulls up and finds her way upstairs.

.

Hyde stands at the top, looking at her expectantly, with what she can only determine are hungry eyes.

.

"Hey," Donna says as she hugs him tightly.

.

"Hey," he responds tensely.

.

This is just about the least zen she's ever seen Hyde and it's kind of unnerving for her.

.

"You want a drink?" he asks, playing host.

.

"I'm good. You probably don't have anything but beer, right? As you can see, I'm off the sauce," she jokes, patting her belly.

.

"I have other stuff," he smiles and opens his fridge, revealing juice, soft drinks and other family friendly fare.

.

"Interesting selection. You've had guests staying here?" she wonders as she grabs a juice.

.

"Nope. Just trying something different," he says, sitting backwards on a kitchen stool.

.

"I have something for you," she says, pulling out a small, flimsy square of paper from her bag. "Baby's first picture," she says as she presents the scan.

.

Hyde timidly accepts the paper and looks at his child. He's trying to remain zen, but Donna can tell that he's beyond emotional from this.

.

"I don't know what the hell any of these lines mean," he says with a frown.

.

Donna walks over behind him and points. "That's the baby's head. See? Eyes, nose, lips right there. And this is one of the legs all folded up".

.

Hyde nods as he takes this all in. "I make a pretty good-looking kid," he decides as he secures the scan to his refrigerator with a magnet. "Thanks".

.

Donna nods in response and wanders around the apartment to check it out. "This is beautiful Hyde. You didn't do this, right?"

.

"Come on. I paid somebody," he says.

.

"What's in here?" Donna asks as she opens the door to the nursery and gasps.

.

"I figured...in case the baby ever comes to visit," he explains.

.

She smiles broadly with pride.

.

"Stop looking at me like that," he snaps from behind a small smile.

.

"Looks like 'Big Daddy' is getting stoked for parenthood," she coos, mocking him.

.

"You done yet?" he asks, annoyed.

.

She thinks for a minute. "Yeah, alright," she says, letting him out of the hot seat.

.

"Now why don't you tell me what you couldn't say at the doctor's office?" Hyde demands.

.

Donna's mood changes noticeably, which puts Hyde on edge. What could be so bad that she wouldn't be able to just tell him without such a huge production?

.

"Let's sit down," she suggests.

.

"I don't want to sit down, just tell me," he insists, now more assertively.

.

Donna rubs both hands through her hair. She wonders how you phrase something that once it's said is going to crush your friend.

.

"Holy crap Donna, just say it. It can't be worse that somebody telling me I have cancer," he says.

.

"When I picked Jackie up from the airport, she wasn't alone," she says.

.

"What do you mean? Was Pam there with her?" he asks.

.

"No," Donna takes a deep breath. "She was there with her husband" she finishes, unable to meet his eyes.

.

At first nothing seems to register on Hyde's face. He's immobile and quiet for so long that Donna is unsure he's heard her at all.

.

"Hyde?" she calls softly.

.

"I heard it, Donna. You can go now," he says in full Zen mode.

.

"Don't you want to know any details?" she asks gently.

.

"What else is there to know? I'm in love with a woman who is having my baby and she just married another guy. Do I have all the details right?" he spits out bitterly.

.

"Yes," she says sadly as she stands up and walks to the front door. "For what it's worth, I don't think she loves him," she says as she leaves his home.

.

**A/N - Poor Hyde...but then again, he kind of brought it on himself, no? I know it seems bleak, but I'm a Zennie, so know that I will have them together and happy at the end. Did you like the chapter? Please review and let me know what you think.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Please review and let me know how this story is going. I'm trying hard ****not to be predictable. I know Jackie pregnant is a groaner, but I swear ****you'll see it's going somewhere soon. It's not just for a cute resolution, ****I'm trying to get Hyde to grow up and drop the zen!**

**.**

**And for those worried about J/H, stay with me, it's going to happen ****eventually-I promise!**

**.**

**CHAPTER 13**

.

Jackie is repacking her bags as Donna sits on the couch watching her while nursing a cup of tea.

.

"I can't believe you're leaving already," Donna complains.

.

"Believe it," Jackie responds, zipping up her case, then lying down on the floor, exhausted. "How am I winded just from packing a suitcase?"

.

"Who just buys an apartment in cash after only seeing it once? Without even showing it to their wife" she says incredulously.

.

"Wealthy, Argentinean wine barons?" Jackie smiles as she stretches out like a cat.

.

"The ink is barely dry on your marriage license and he's already taking over your life," she says, concerned.

.

"That's fine with me. I've been doing a lame ass job of running my life. May as well give somebody else a shot," Jackie counters.

.

"I have something to tell you," Donna warns.

.

"Am I going to be pissed?" she wonders.

.

"You've been pretty unpredictable lately, so your guess is as good as mine," she shrugs.

.

Jackie sits up. "Lay it on me".

.

"Hyde showed up at your doctor's appointment the other day," she says, bracing for the worst.

.

She points her finger at Donna as she stands up. "I knew there was somebody out there!"

.

"Yeah, I didn't want to upset you, so I got rid of him," she says.

.

"That scrawny scumbag!" Jackie rants.

.

"Hyde's scrawny?" Donna questions.

.

"Not. Hyde." Jackie narrows her eyes. "Your sneaky little dipshit husband is dead to me."

.

"Oh," Donna says, reminding herself to ream Eric out later. "Hold up, there's more."

.

Jackie eyes give her friend a stern warning.

.

"The only way I could get Hyde to leave was to promise to come see him afterwards, so I did," she says.

.

"And," Jackie asks, finding this increasingly aggravating.

.

"I told him about Fernando," she winces, waiting for Mt. Jackie to erupt all over her.

.

"Oh," says Jackie, thinking that is wasn't so bad. "Whatever".

.

"Whatever?" Donna is shocked.

.

"You saved me from having a really awkward conversation, so I guess I should thank you," she shrugs.

.

"That's it? ARGH! You and Hyde and your bullshit zen thing are killing me here," Donna screams, irritated by the dishonestly of the whole situation.

.

"What do you mean?" she wonders.

.

"First he acts like he's not all that bothered by you getting married and now you're pretending like I did you a favor by telling him," she gripes.

.

Jackie stops for a minute and her mouth turns down, "He really wasn't bothered?"

.

"Thank you! Finally some authenticity," she breathes. "Oh, and Hyde's zen game sucks right now because it's obvious he's totally bothered!"

.

Jackie smiles to herself.

.

* * *

.

Fernando opens the door to the new apartment and carries Jackie over the threshold.

.

"This is so weird," she giggles.

.

"Yes it is," he says as he puts her down.

.

"Am I getting heavy?" she pouts.

.

"You're like a feather, morocha," he kisses her on the head and leaves to get the bags from the hallway.

.

Jackie walks around the apartment, taking in the sterile yet beautiful room. It's colder than she thought it would be, but definitely more posh and littered with with high-end appliances and the latest technology. The floors are black galaxy marble under charcoal-stained mahogany cabinets. Smooth white leather stretches tautly over the Mid-century sofa frame and ottoman, both which rest on a creamy white silk rug. She observes all of the sharp edges and corners in the modernist masterpiece and imagines she's going to have to spend about a year childproofing the place. If she didn't know better, she'd think she just entered a sweet-looking bachelor pad.

.

"Where is the bedroom?" she asks out loud.

.

"Ah, it's right over here," Fernando excitedly points to an enclave off of the main room.

.

Jackie's forehead creases with concern. "There's no door, Fernando."

.

"It's an enclave studio, but we can always add a door if we need to," he surmises.

.

"IF we need to?" she asks angrily. "And where are we supposed to put the baby?"

.

He looks around and waves his arms. "It's 1200 square feet, we can put him anywhere."

.

Jackie looks around disconcerted.

.

"Don't worry, mi amor. Everything will fall into place when it needs to," he says, slipping an arm around her waist to reassure her.

.

Jackie leans into Fernando and sighs, hoping she didn't just marry her way out of one bad situation and into another.

.

* * *

.

Jackie sits uncomfortable on a white leather cube in her living room and talks on the phone.

.

"So tell me?" Fez prods his friend for details.

.

"It's nice," she says with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm.

.

"That's it?" he says, mildly annoyed. "You just moved into one of the nicest buildings in the city and all you can say is 'nice'?"

.

"It's beautiful. Is that better?" she offers.

.

Fez pouts, "I think the only way for me to really appreciate it is for me to see it for myself".

.

"Fez, you can stop by any time you want. You don't need a special invitation," she says, trying to make up for her dearth of details.

.

"That's better," he smiles. "So are you coming to my party or what?" he asks.

.

"Of course I am," she answers.

.

"And Ferrrrrrrnando?" he asks, paying special attention to the R's.

.

"Him too," she laughs, knowing Fez is just dying to judge the guy for himself. "Who else will be there?" Jackie asks, trying to sound casual.

.

Fez takes a moment before answering. "Everyone, of course".

.

"That's what I was afraid of," she says, her face contracting with worry.

.

"Put on a hot dress, bring your fine husband, and just rip off the band-aid. You have to do it sometime," he surmises. "Everything will go back to normal once people get used to it".

.

Maybe Fez is right? Things will seem normal after a while, she thinks optimistically. She remembers when they were all in high school and she was on/off with Michael. The gang just adjusted to things as they happened and moved on.

.

Then she remembers how they reacted when she started up with Steven. Not such a smooth transition. In fact, a pretty lousy adjustment period if she recalls, with Michael throwing tantrums all the time and Forman constantly voicing how grossed out he was by their coupling. Okay, she thinks, this could go either way.

.

* * *

.

The sound of thumping club music can be heard half a block away from Fez's loft apartment. Jackie and Fernando approach the building holding hands.

.

Fernando looks dashing is a stylish blazer and tight jeans, and Jackie is absolutely radiant in an off-the-shoulder, emerald green mini-dress that gently hugs her growing belly.

.

Just as they're about to enter, Jackie stops cold.

.

"What's wrong?" Fernando asks, bringing his other hand to Jackie's face.

.

"I feel like a beached whale," she says sadly, adjusting her clingy dress.

.

"You look pretty hot to me," he says while flashing his perfect smile at her.

.

"I'm worried it's going to be super awkward. I haven't seen or spoken to Steven in months, and now I'm rolling back into town, showing off my devastatingly gorgeous husband at a party with all of his friends there," she frowns. "Normally this would be a dream come true".

.

"They're your friends too," he asserts.

.

"Yeah. I'm mostly worried about you though," she admits.

.

"Why me?" he asks laughing.

.

"This whole situation is so weird. I'm worried when you meet him you'll run for the door?" she worries.

.

"Is he that scary?" he asks, not worried at all.

.

Jackie nods solemnly. "At times".

.

"This kind of thing is normal in my circles, morocha. Everybody has babies with everybody else," he assures her.

.

"Really?" Jackie asks, taken aback and slightly disgusted.

.

"Really," he says in a soothing voice as he kisses her lips.

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Fernando find Fez's apartment door ajar and people spilling in and out of it randomly. As they walk in, they are first greeted by Angie, a perennial lightweight who is already half in the bag.

.

"Holy shit - you're here!" she cries as she spies Jackie and her bump.

.

Angie embraces her lovingly if also a little sloppily, and then points to her stomach. "Oh my God," she shakes her head as if she can't quite believe it.

.

"Yep," she says, already feeling embarrassed for no reason.

.

"Fernando?" she asks Jackie while pointing to her husband, who turns his charm up high.

.

Jackie nods and gestures to Angie. "Fernando, this is my friend Angie".

.

He kisses her on both cheeks. "Mucho gusto, Angie".

.

"Muy suave," she blushes, then turns her attention back to Jackie. "I'm going to let Fez know you're here. Tell that little one that their auntie cannot wait to meet them," she says as she walks off.

.

"Auntie?" Fernando asks.

.

"Angie is Steven's sister," she says.

.

Fernando's face grows dim. "Steven is black?" he asks, sounding vaguely alarmed.

.

"Yes. No. Well, sort of. He's half-black, but he looks completely white to most people," she explains. "Is that a problem?" she presses, suddenly uncomfortable with Fernando's body language.

.

"You just never mentioned it," he says plaintively.

.

"Why would I need to mention it?" she says, disturbed by his sudden concern about the color of her baby.

.

Jackie and Fernando make their way through the room towards Fez, who is holding court with an array of Eurotash types. When he catches Jackie out of the corner of his eye, he holds his hand up to excuse himself from the group and weaves his way through the sea of hot pants, sequins and gummy bracelets to find her.

.

"I'm really happy to see you in the flesh," he says as he hugs her tightly. "You only look a little fat, but your boobs are huge so it's okay," he whispers in ear.

.

She gives Fez a stern look. "Fernando, this is Fez," she says, eagerly hoping the two will hit it off.

.

Fez looks at Fernando suspiciously. "Fernando?" he asks, as though he doesn't truly believe that's his real name.

.

"Do I know you?" Fernando asks Fez with equal suspicion.

.

"I do not think you do," Fez responds with ambiguous hostility.

.

"I'm going to get a drink," he says as he kisses Jackie on the head. "Fez," he says with aggression as he nods goodbye to him.

.

"Buen dia, señor." Fez watches Fernando leave with narrowed eyes.

.

"Push It" by Salt-n-Pepa comes on the speakers at top volume.

.

"What the hell was that?" Jackie nearly screams in his face to overtake the music.

.

Fez shrugs. "Our countries do not get along" he mouths back to her and pulls her into a dance move.

.

Jackie and Fez start dancing hard and dirty with each other, which is quite a hilarious for the party guests, watching a woman in the middle of her pregnancy tear up the dance floor.

.

Fernando returns from the bar area with a drink and watches Jackie with amusement. He puts his now-empty drink down on the counter and asks to cut in when the song changes.

.

"Fez" he says coolly as Jackie's friend releases her to him.

.

"Fernando" Fez nods with the same coolness.

.

Jackie wraps her arms around Fernando's neck as they dance to "Handle With Care," by The Traveling Wilburys.

.

_**Been beat up and battered around.** **Been sent up and I've been shot down.** **You're the **_

_**best thing that I've ever found.** **Handle me with care.**_

.

"I just got beeped, morocha, and I need to go right away," Fernando tells her apologetically.

.

"What? But we just got here," Jackie pouts.

.

"I'm so sorry, but it's important and they need to meet now because it's a time zone thing. Why don't you stay and enjoy yourself and I'll meet you at home. Do you have money for a taxi?" he asks.

.

Jackie nods and sways sadly to the music.

.

_**Reputation's changeable****.**_

_**Situation's tolerable****.**_

_**But Baby you're adorable****.**_

_**Handle me with Care.**_

_._

_**I'm so tired of being lonely****.**_

_**I still have some** **love to give****.**_

_**Won't you show me that you really care.**_

.

Fernando plants a quick kiss on her and leaves.

.

_**Everybody's got someone to lean on****.**_

_**Put your body** **next to mine and dream on.**_

**.**

As Fernando walks through the doorway he accidentally body checks Hyde who is on his way in. "Excuse me," he says curtly as he walks out, not stopping to see if he did any damage.

.

"Watch it," Steven mutters under his breath too late for Fernando to hear.

.

_**I've been fobbed off, and I've been fooled****.**_

_**I've been robbed and ridiculed.**_

_**In day care centers and night school.**_

_**Handle me with care.**_

.

Hyde surveys the scene and instantly notices Jackie dancing in the middle of the growing crowd of guests, all by herself.

.

_**Been Stuck in airports, terrorized.**_

_**Sent to meetings, hypnotized.**_

_**Over-exposed commercialized.**_

_**Handle me with care.**_

.

He involuntarily smiles while watching her sway her hips to the beat, eyes closed, feeling the music. She looks tan and relaxed. Much better than she had the last time he saw her, when she looked drawn and tense, eyes puffy from days of crying and no sleep. Jackie at her best, he thinks to himself, has the kind of face they write poems about, and he knew it better than anyone else.

.

He flashes back to the hundreds of times Jackie woke up beside him, eyelids fluttering, pupils opening to greet the world. He liked watching her sleep, but it didn't hold a candle to watching her wake up. That split second instant when she would realize where she was and who she was with always made his heart contract a bit, because he knew at that unadulterated moment that he was the reason she was smiling and he'd do just about anything to make her feel that way all the time.

.

_**I'm so tired of being lonely.**_

_**I still have some** **love to give. **_

_**Won't you show me that you really care.**_

.

Hyde spent so much time focused on her perfect face that he only just noticed the biggest change of all. His eyes traveled down to her torso and took in the evidence of their last meeting together. All of the changes he'd made over the past month suddenly took on a greater sense of importance. Up until now, the baby had only been an idea to him, a concept he accepted on good faith that precipitated an overhaul of nearly everything about his life. But there it was right in front of him, as real as it was terrifying.

.

_**Everybody's got someone to lean on. **_

_**Put your body** **next to mine and dream on.**_

.

Feeling the weight of his stare, Jackie opens her eyes and notices Hyde across the room. She fights the instinct to smile, not wanting him to take it as a sign of anything between them. She knows it's irrational, because it's obvious that there will always be something between them, especially now. Debating how welcoming she should allow herself be, she can't help but feel overwhelming relief, seeing him look like his old self, healthier even. Jackie decides it's okay to let him know that much, but the rest of what she's feeling she will bury deep like a pirate's haul.

.

_**I've been uptight and made a mess.**_

_**But I'll clean it up myself, I guess.**_

_**Oh, the sweet smell of success.**_

_**Handle me with care.**_

.

He motions over a sea of people for her to meet him on the terrace. She nods, and they both make their way to each other from opposite sides of the room.

.

"Here we go," she thinks to herself.

.

**A/N - let me know how you liked this! Please review : )**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks for all the great comments! If you think Fernando sucks now, just you wait...**

**.**

**CHAPTER 14**

.

Hyde walks towards the terrace with a purpose not knowing exactly what he's going to say or do when she gets there. He only knows how he feels and it's pretty damned desperate, but she can't be privy to that or she'll eviscerate him.

.

He curses himself for the millionth time for letting her leave New Orleans that night, but he knows he can't take it back or make her forget the pain of rejection. He's got a lot of work ahead of him.

.

Jackie moves through the room, trying to keep pace with him, but between the baby knocking off her center of gravity and her high heeled boots, she's sorely lagging behind. Normally she doesn't mind keeping a man waiting, but she can tell by his body language he's in no mood to drag this out.

.

She stops to catch her breath, leaning against the wall for support, and watches him move closer to the terrace. Well, he's healthy enough to outrun her, she thinks, so he must be feeling normal again. She wishes she felt normal too. There was a second when she first saw Steven across the room that she forgot everything that had happened over the past four months. The cancer, the baby, Fernando, all of it evaporated and they were just "them" again, the way they used to be.

.

As he opens the terrace door, Hyde realizes Jackie is far behind and checks over his shoulder to find her.

.

Jackie waves, gives him an apologetic look and shrugs her shoulders.

.

Hyde is trying to keep it cool, but between the dancing and they way she looks leaning against the wall with her adorable belly and short skirt, it's like his heart is going to burst into flames every time he turns to face her. He has to keep reminding himself not to touch.

.

She starts walking again and follows him out onto the terrace.

.

"The terrace is closed," Hyde announces as he ushers out the few stragglers who have made their way out there. He pulls up a chair and motions for her to sit.

.

"I'm okay to stand," she says, fearing she'd have trouble getting up in a seat that low.

.

He moves the chair away and pulls a coffee table over for her to sit on. "Better?" he asks.

.

Jackie smiles and props herself on the edge, amazed by his ability to read her mind still. "Thanks".

.

"So..." Hyde begins and quickly trails off, not knowing exactly where to start.

.

This is the first time she's gotten a real close look at him and he definitely appears somewhat different to her. He's clean shaven for one and he looks somehow brighter and healthier than even before he had cancer. He's also, much to her surprise, wearing real pants instead of his normal uniform of jeans and a t-shirt. Besides Eric and Donna's wedding and the dances they went to in high school, she's never seen him out of the house in anything close to resembling adult clothes.

.

"Nice pants," she smirks, teasing him about his wardrobe renovation. "Very you".

.

"I know," he responds, smirking back at her.

.

So far, so good, he thinks, though he knows the conversation is pretty much uphill from here. She arches her back a little to make herself more comfortable, drawing his attention back to that bump and the person growing within it.

.

"You look really cute carrying my baby," he casually mumbles at her belly.

.

"I'm sorry, but this conversation is just way too weird for me," she says laughing a little.

.

"Nah," he says sarcastically, not having a clue what to say next.

.

"I'm glad you're okay," she blurts out, hoping to change the topic to something other than the baby. "I really am," she says sincerely.

.

"Me too," he smiles tensely.

.

There is a long silence as they just stare at each other, trying to find the words to express feelings they haven't quite worked through and definitely don't understand.

.

Hyde is distracted by the urge to touch her bronzed skin, even just the tip of her fingers, but he doesn't dare. He aches to feel the weight and warmth of her in his arms and bury his face in her hair as he used to every morning in bed. He feels almost like a drug addict in need of a fix, itchy hands balling into fists to keep his fingers from shaking.

.

There's a big elephant in the room, however, and at some point he'll need to go hunting. Hyde sighs. "So...married in Mexico?" he asks, careful to remove all traces of emotion from his voice.

.

"All of the strip clubs in Vegas were booked," she shrugs.

.

Hyde gives her a look and shrugs, accepting the burn. Damn she has a fast mouth. Most people hate that about her, but it's his favorite personality trait. No other woman has been able to keep up with him like this and the longer they've known each other, she's only gotten better at it.

.

"Hitched after one month though, you two must really be in love," he deadpans.

.

"Madly," she fronts, looking him dead in the eye.

.

He stares back at her, hoping to break her.

.

"This is how you're going to play this then?" he asks, still not averting his eyes. He's going to make her lie to his face.

.

"Whatever," she zens back at him, also not budging.

.

He breaks eye contact and shakes his head. "I've created a monster".

.

She smiles triumphantly.

.

"You got married to a total stranger," he says, not understanding how she can keep up this facade.

.

"Nobody else wanted to marry me," she counters plainly.

.

"You know that's not true," he whispers, mentally kicking himself yet again for leaving her.

.

"He's kind and wants to take care of me and the baby. As my mother pointed out, raising a child is hard, and I guess I just didn't feel like doing it alone," she explains, telling him way more about her motivation than she had planned to.

.

Anger starts to rise from within his gut. Fucking Pam has been against him from the start! She was probably horrified when she found out that he was the father of her daughter's baby. She never thought he was good enough for her princess and now Pam's finally gotten her wish, with him kicked to the curb. A not so small part of him wonders though, if she's right about him.

.

"You don't sound like you" he says, now concerned about her mental state.

.

"I'm not me anymore, Steven. I can't keep making foolish choices with unreliable men. A baby needs stability," She says.

.

"I'll give the baby stability," he says.

.

"You can't even do that for yourself. You're not responsible enough to look after somebody else," she says, not intentionally trying to hurt him, but knowing it's unavoidable.

.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm the dad," he says, getting annoyed.

.

"Where were you when I needed you? In New Orleans without so much as a phone call to even let me know you were alive" she says unmercifully. "You're nothing but a sperm donor," she says, going for the jugular.

.

Hyde feels all of the blood rush from his body. Is this really what she thinks of him? Does she despise him this much? If he believed at all in God, he'd be on his knees right now praying for strength. This slight woman in front of him has everything of his in her hands - his heart, his baby, his future, and she clearly wants no part of any of them.

.

"Well," he says tightly, taking a moment to process what she's just said, "If you wanted to hurt me as bad as I hurt you, you can go ahead and take your bow".

.

She looks down and wrings her hands. Why did she say that when it isn't even what she really thinks? Sometimes she's so desperate to punish him or force him to expose his feelings, that she'll reach deep and use anything she can to provoke him. She can tell she's gone too far this time.

.

"I'm going to make one thing clear to you and then I'm walking out of here. That..." he says as he points to her belly, "...is half mine, so you'd better get used to having me around again, doll, because I will be at every one of your doctor's appointments".

.

"Steven..." Jackie says, trying to calm him down.

.

"Don't go up against me on this," he warns her intensely. "Oh and tell Fernando he has my condolences," he growls as he walks off.

.

Jackie just sits there stunned, watching the only man she's ever truly loved walk out of her life again. How could she call him a sperm donor? The reality is, she thanks God every day that this baby is half his, so she can keep a little part of him with her at all times.

.

She married Fernando because he makes her feel safe, something she never really experienced with Steven. From the beginning to the end of their relationship he's kept her on edge. Though often painful, it was something that excited her and made their sex hot, since she knew things could end at any moment over the wrong words or a suspicious look. With this baby coming though, she just can't do the highs and lows anymore. Her own home life was a misery with her father working all the time and then in jail and and her mother on perennial holiday with a revolving door of sugar daddies. Jackie's always dreamed of making a real solid family for herself, like the Formans, and she knows she can't do it with a guy as mercurial as Steven Hyde.

.

* * *

.

"No, that does not sound like it went very well," Donna says while tearing into a bagel at a deli for lunch.

.

Jackie looks at her with dismay. "Slow down there Pinciotti. I'm a little out of practice with my Heimlich maneuver skills," she says while eating her bagel daintily.

.

Donna looks up at her friend with annoyance. "Shut up! I'm hungry!"

.

"I'm trying to ease off on the eating, because I have my 18 week scan tomorrow and I've been majorly packing on the pounds," she says.

.

Donna gives her a death stare. She's already out-gained Jackie two-to-one and doesn't really feel like talking about pregnancy weigh-ins.

.

"You seeing Hyde there?" she asks.

.

Jackie looks down at the table and sulks. "I guess so," she says.

.

"Where's Fernando?" Donna wonders.

.

"He won't be there, thank God. He's out of town," she answers sadly.

.

"Jeez he's gone a lot," she exclaims.

.

"Yeah," says Jackie. "I didn't realize just how much he'd have to travel when we got married".

.

"But you had so much time to get to know each other," she cracks.

.

Jackie sighs loudly to signify her annoyance. "So...can you come with, as a buffer?"

.

"I'm really sorry," Donna says, feeling extremely contrite. "I know it's the 'big scan' and everything, but Eric is starting to drive me crazy during his little sabbatical from work. I told him I wouldn't have sex with him until he did something non baby-related, outside the house, so he bought tickets for a Bears game today. I have to go or I'm going to lose him to a lamaze class or something," she says.

.

Jackie pouts.

.

"Look, you know how Hyde is. Just keep it low key, focus on the baby, and stay away from topic like Fernando, the CIA and the Iran Contra Affair and you should be fine," she advises.

.

* * *

.

Jackie arrives at the doctor's office and enters the waiting room. Hyde is already there, sitting in the corner reading a newspaper. She's exactly on time, so he must've gotten there early which isn't really a very Steven thing to do.

.

She plops down next to him and glances gingerly in his direction. "Hey," she says.

.

"Hey," he answers back coldly, not looking up from his paper. "I already signed you in".

.

Jackie raises her eyebrows, surprised by this show of responsibility. "Thanks," she says, impressed that Steven seems to be taking this whole baby thing seriously. It's easy when the kid is on the inside though, she rationalizes. We'll see how many appointments he misses once the kid is actually here.

.

"Are you nervous" she asks him, referring to the scan.

.

Hyde nods his head slowly, still looking at the newspaper. "Believe it or not, you're the first chick I've ever knocked up, so this is all new for me".

.

"Well, this is the first time I've ever been knocked up, so it's new for me too," she says pulling her hair up into a pony tail and securing it with a rubber band.

.

Hyde is suddenly keenly aware of Jackie's bare neck just inches away from him. It was always his favorite spot to kiss on her, because that one spot above her collar bone seems to have a direct line to his other favorite spot on her, which is a lot farther down. He can also smell her hair from where he's sitting and it's only making his urges worse.

.

He takes a deep breath and tries to clear his head of dirty thoughts. He looks at the receptionist at the front desk and attempts to use mind control to get her to call Jackie's name next. She's the only one with the power to rescue him from this torture.

.

"Jane McManus?" she calls out, looking around. A blond in her mid-30's stands up and follows the nurse into the exam room hallway.

.

"Crap!" Hyde thinks to himself.

.

"I hope I get called soon. I really have to pee. I always have to pee now," she frowns, closing her eyes and tipping her head back to rest on the back of the chair.

.

Her neck is even more exposed now, and he can see beyond the divet at the base of her clavicle. He wonders how far down he'd be able to see if she were leaning over. Ugh, now he's starting to remind himself of Fez.

.

"Jackie Rey?" the receptionist announces in the nick of time.

.

Hyde thanks the universe for showing him mercy and follows Jackie down the hallway into the exam room.

.

The nurse makes Jackie stand on the scale, but she refuses until Hyde agrees to turn around.

.

"Are you embarrassed to weigh over 100 lbs or something?" he asks, teasing her as he lowers himself into the guest chair.

.

"You can't really understand, so just shut up about it," Jackie says as she steps down. "I gained two pounds this week and I barely even ate anything," she complains.

.

"You're not dieting?" Hyde questions, furrowing his brow.

.

"No, I just...you know how I get when I'm upset," she says quietly as she sits on the edge of the exam table.

.

"You eat when you're upset" he says.

.

"No, I eat when I'm kind of upset. When I'm_ really_ upset, I don't feel like eating at all," she clarifies. "Usually when I'm really upset you're off banging strippers and nurses, so you never get to see me like that."

.

He feels suddenly very bad. He knows he blew things way out of proportion the other night and now he's made her stripper-level upset and it's starting to affect her health. He feels like a real asshole. "I'm sorry," he says, in uncharacteristic fashion.

.

Her ears perk up at his apology. This is most unusual, she thinks. "It's not your fault," she says. "I'm more upset by my own behavior, actually. I was really cruel, like, more than my usual amount, which is already kind of bad".

.

Try as he might to stay zen, he can't help but smile at her apology. Maturity is not Jackie's strong suit, so if she's contrite it must mean she went a little overboard. Maybe she doesn't hate him as much as he thought.

.

"Thanks," he says, trying to keep the momentum of kindness going.

.

A Russian woman knocks twice then enters the exam room. "I'm the lab tech. I need you to put on this robe, open in front, and then we take a look at Baby Rey".

.

Jackie tenses up, knowing this is not going to please Steven. "Baby Hyde," she hears herself say before she even realizes she it. "It's spelled H-Y-D-E".

.

The Russian corrects the chart and excuses herself out.

.

Hyde looks up at Jackie from the chair, but she won't meet his gaze. "Do you want me to leave while you change?" he asks.

.

Jackie shakes her head. "You can just turn around. It's not like you don't know what I look like naked".

.

Hyde turns around in his seat and can hear the sounds of Jackie stripping down. This is not exactly how he'd hoped to get her naked again, but it didn't suck.

.

"I'm done," she says, now clad in a short, blue, cotton robe that barely covers her. "Can you hold this for me?" she asks while thrusting her clothes at him.

.

He nods and takes a good look at her in the robe. Her legs still look amazing, he thinks. In fact, he quite likes the way 'Pregnant Jackie' looks in every way. There's something undeniably sexy about a woman when she's carrying your child.

.

The Russian knocks twice rapidly and enters the room again. Within seconds, she brings the machine towards the exam table, sets it up and instructs Jackie to lie down with Soviet proficiency.

.

"Your husband can come stand next to you," she says as a command rather than a request.

.

Neither one of them corrects her mistake as Hyde shuffles up next to Jackie on the table.

.

"I feel kind of like a lab rat," she jokes.

.

The woman opens Jackie's robe unceremoniously and squirts a giant helping of ultrasound goo all over her belly.

.

Jackie starts for a moment when the gel hits her body. "Cold!" she exclaims.

.

Hyde grabs one of the sheets nearby and puts it around her shoulders to warm her up.

.

"Here we go," the tech says as she rubs the wand back and forth, looking for different parts of the baby, measuring things.

.

Both Jackie and Hyde are mesmerized by the picture on the screen.

.

"Can you turn the sound on? He hasn't heard the heartbeat yet," Jackie explains.

.

The tech turns a small knob and the sound of the baby's heartbeat fills the room.

.

Hyde inhales sharply when he hears the first beat and then completely forgets to breathe after that point.

.

Jackie smiles as she watches how affected he is by the noise. In some strange way, this is exactly how she'd always imagined it would be when they had a baby, albeit not this bizarro world version.

.

"Don't forget to breathe," she reminds Steven, as he chuckles a bit, giddy with wonder.

.

"Do you want to know the sex of the baby?" she asks.

.

Jackie looks up at Steven expectantly. She actually hadn't given much thought to whether she would find out ahead of time or wait like Donna and Eric like to do.

.

"Let's find out," he says. "You were always terrible at waiting to open your presents at Christmas".

.

"Okay," she says as she grabs his hand nervously.

.

"Ouch," he frowns. "Your ring is cutting into my hand".

.

"Sorry," she says as she loosens her grip.

.

"You will be the parents of a little baby girl," she smiles as Jackie bursts out into tears of gratitude.

.

"I really wanted a girl," she says, looking up at him with wet eyes.

.

"I actually did too," he smiles. He actually hadn't thought about what he preferred until this moment, but the thought of having an even smaller version of Jackie running around was just too precious to pass up.

.

She looks up at him like he's crazy. "I find that highly unlikely," she says skeptically.

.

"It's true," he asserts.

.

The Russian tech stops recording for a moment and frowns.

.

Jackie's stomach leaps into her chest. "What?" she asks. "What's wrong?" she nervously demands to know.

.

"I'm not really allowed to talk to you about the tests results. Your doctor will be in any minute to explain them to you," she says diplomatically.

.

Hyde is irrationally angry. "What's wrong with my daughter?" he asks in a vaguely threatening tone.

.

"I'll be right back," the Russian tech says tensely as she quickly excuses herself before either of them has a chance to ask her anything else.

.

Jackie looks down at her stomach pensively and traces the shape of a little heart in the goo with her index finger.

.

Without asking, Hyde slips an arm around her shoulders and she leans her head back into his chest as they silently wait for news.

.

**A/N - Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Are the twists still surprising you or can you predict ****where this is headed? Lots of hot J/H stuff in the next chapter, so I hope you enjoy ****the groundwork. Please keep those reviews coming, I really really love the feedback!**

**.**

**CHAPTER 15**

.

Hyde holds Jackie securely against him while they wait in silence for the doctor to come in and speak with them.

.

Though this is the first time he's touched her since the night they conceived the baby, the occasion barely even registers through the terror coursing through his body at the moment. He didn't even know this baby existed until recently, didn't see it on screen until minutes ago, and yet she's suddenly become the most important thing in his life.

.

It's a strange feeling for him to care so unabashedly about somebody without even knowing them. Actually, it's an odd experience for Hyde to feel that way about anything in general really, since he's practically made a career out of remaining disconnected. This visceral reaction he's having is normally something he'd try to hide, but he isn't embarrassed because he has no ability to control it.

.

Jackie, on the other had, is being uncharacteristically quiet. Though he can feel her breathing shallowly against him, she has yet to speak a word, which is always a bad sign. He feels helpless standing there, unable to fix things for her as he always has.

.

"Jackie," he says tenderly, as you would to a child, "It's all going to be okay".

.

"I don't feel like talking," she says matter-of-factly shutting him down.

.

This is history-making, he thinks. The one time he's desperate to speak she's not interested in talking.

.

The exam room door opens and Hyde can feel Jackie jump as the doctor makes his way into the room.

.

The doctor looks at the data the tech has collected and then opens Jackie's robe all the way, exposing her nether regions completely. Hyde averts his eyes, feeling uncomfortable violating her privacy, especially when she's in such a state.

.

Jackie is numb as she lies there on the table. She knows she's exposed and doesn't care. The only thing she cares about right now is finding out if her baby will be okay.

.

The doctor squirts another helping of ultrasound gel onto her belly and presses hard into her stomach with the wand. Jackie winces slightly from the jab, but rides it out silently.

.

Hyde rubs one of his hands up and down her arm to try to relax her, but she doesn't seem to even notice.

.

The doctor looks intently at the screen. "Do you see right here? This is your baby's heart," he says, looking back at Jackie to make sure she's following him. "And this, he points to a tiny shadow, is a small hole".

.

Jackie closes her eyes to absorb the news. Hyde holds her tighter to let her know she's not alone. "What does that mean," he asks the doctor nervously.

.

"Well, in the best case scenario, it will close up on it's own before she's born," he says.

.

"And the worst case?" he presses.

.

"Let's not worry about that now. There's always surgery," he says cheerfully. "I'd like to monitor things closely though. Can you come in every other week to have a scan?" he asks Jackie.

.

She nods silently, still unable to speak.

.

"Great. Why don't you set up the appointments at the desk before you leave today," he smiles and leaves the room.

.

Jackie remains unmoved.

.

Hyde shifts around in front of her to see if she's okay. He quickly flips her robe closed to cover her up. "You okay?" he asks her gently.

.

"I want to go home," she says.

.

"I'll take you" he replies as his worry for her begins to build.

.

* * *

.

Jackie unlocks the door to her apartment and Hyde follows her inside. He looks around the apartment and has a hard time believing this place was decorated by his ex. She always used to drag him to antique fairs on weekends and this joint is as modern as they come.

.

"Nice place," he says trying to be polite, though pretty certain she'd be able to detect a hint of sarcasm if she were listening close enough.

.

She crosses to the fridge and pulls out a beer and a club soda and two glasses from the cabinet.

.

"No thanks. I'm cutting back," he says as he replaces the bottle in the fridge.

.

Her eyes widen. "You really are full of surprises lately," she says thoughtfully as she pours the club soda into both glasses.

.

He pulls out a tall kitchen stool for her to sit on. "Can you sit comfortably on this?" he asks, doubting her feet would be able to even reach the top rung.

.

She sighs, "Not really" she says as she kicks over a white leather cube.

.

He pulls another one over to sit next to her and hands her the drink. "Are you...okay? You've been really quiet".

.

Jackie is suddenly overcome with emotion, as if she were hearing the bad news about the baby for the first time. Hyde's face changes as he sees her impending breakdown, but before he can say something, she raises her hand up to keep him back, takes a few deep breaths and calms herself down.

.

"I'm not leaving you alone like this. When is your husband coming home?" he asks, barely able to get the word 'husband' to roll off his tongue naturally. Suddenly, he realizes just how Jackie felt when she found out about his drunken nuptials in Vegas. The idea that she could be married to somebody other than him, and live in this strange, cold place, is starting to tug at every corner of his soul.

.

"He doesn't get home until Thursday," she says without emotion.

.

"That's not for a whole week. He's leaving you alone all this time?" Hyde asks, beginning to feel irate.

.

"He can't help it, it's for work," she says.

.

"Doesn't his family own the company?" he asks incredulously.

.

"Hyde, I really don't feel like talking about this with you," she snaps at him, realizing just after-the-fact that she called him by his last name.

.

Hyde looks at her with a smirk to let her know he noticed. "Come on, you can stay at my place," he says, trying to pull her up.

.

"No way. That's a horrible idea," she protests.

.

"Then I'm taking you to Donna's, so pack your bag," he glares at her to let her know he's serious. "And don't even try to argue with me".

.

She nods, lets him pull her up, and then starts to pack her bag.

.

* * *

.

Jackie picks at her cereal as Donna makes her way into the kitchen.

.

"How are you doing?" Donna asks as she enters the kitchen, fresh from a shower.

.

"Okay," Jackie responds sadly.

.

"Fernando gets home today. You must be excited," Donna says, testing to see her reaction.

.

"Sure," Jackie responds again in monotone.

.

"Jackie..." Donna starts as she sits in the chair next to her friend and turns to face her. "You can stay here, you know. You don't have to go back if you don't want to".

.

"Why would I do that?" she asks.

.

"Well, because you've barely been married two months and your husband has been gone for half that time," she answers.

.

"It's not like he can quit his job," she defends him.

.

"Okay, but just promise me that you won't be too proud to ask if for some reason you decide things aren't working out," Donna says.

.

Eric walks into the kitchen wearing boxers and a t-shirt. He comes up behind Donna's chair, leans over and kisses her upside down.

.

Donna smiles and pulls him back down for another kiss.

.

"You guys are so gross," Jackie complains. "I'm surprised you're not pregnant again on top of this one".

.

"You're one to talk," Donna says.

.

"I was on the Pill," she complains.

.

"Guess the Pill is nothing compared to Hyde's super sperm," Eric says.

.

"For the last time, I was taking antibiotics, okay?" she rolls her eyes.

.

"Maybe it was just meant to be," Donna says wistfully.

.

"Can somebody please take me home?" Jackie grumbles.

.

"You used to have a better sense of humor," Eric says.

.

"You used to have more hair," she says as she brings her bowl to the sink.

.

* * *

.

Jackie opens the door to her apartment and sees Fernando chatting on the phone. He notices her at the door, smiles, and holds his finger up to indicate he'll be off soon.

.

Eric carries Jackie's bag into the apartment and places it in the hallway.

.

"Do you really live here?" he asks. "It's like a hotel lobby".

.

"Do you want a drink?" she asks.

.

Eric shakes his head no. "Can I ask you something Jackie?" he whispers, trying not to disturb Fernando. "Are you really happy here? You don't look happy," he says.

.

"What do you know?" Jackie whispers back, annoyed.

.

"I know you smiled a hell of a lot more when you were with Hyde," he says.

.

"Look, I know you've got your boy's back, but this is my life, so just butt out, Forman," she hisses.

.

"Okay, but I'm just going to say one thing before I leave. I know you think Hyde is irresponsible and selfish and won't hang around, but I'm telling you he's changed," he asserts.

.

"I guess facing death will do that to a guy," she snarks.

.

"It has nothing to do with that. When he found out about the baby, his first instinct wasn't to run, like it might've been five years ago. He went straight out and bought some adult clothes, basically quit drinking, and built a freaking nursery in his apartment. He never even considered bolting. Not once," he promises.

.

Jackie takes all of this in. "He has a nursery in his apartment?" she asks skeptically.

.

"He loves this baby. And, God help him, for some reason he really loves you too," Eric smiles. "You can't tell me you don't still feel something."

.

Fernando hangs up the phone, walks across the room and places one arm each around Eric and Jackie. "What are we talking about people?" he launches his devastating grin.

.

"Hi Fernando," Eric coos, back under Fernando's spell.

.

"Que pasa Eric! Do you smoke cigars?" he asks.

.

"Not usually, but if you do..." he says.

.

"Come with me on the balcony, I just bought a whole bunch of Cohibas in Venezuela. Shh! Don't tell Uncle Sam," he laughs as he kisses Jackie on the mouth.

.

"I-I should probably take a rain check, since Donna is waiting for me. We have a doctor's appointment".

.

"Ahh that's right. How much longer do you have?" he asks.

.

"We're about a month and a bit ahead of you," he says.

.

Fernando looks at Jackie for guidance on the time line.

.

"She's six months pregnant," Jackie says, embarrassed that he appears so clueless in front of Eric. She knows full well Steven will be hearing about this.

.

"Will you be going to Jackie's next appointment with her?" Eric asks, putting him on the spot.

.

Fernando slips his arm around Jackie's waist. "If I am in town, I would be proud to go with you," he says as he kisses her again.

.

Jackie smiles, happy that she was able to prove to Eric that Fernando cares about the baby, even though she increasingly suspects that not to be the case.

.

"Catch ya later, doofus. Thanks for the hospitality," she purses her lips and gives a self-satisfactory smile.

.

* * *

.

Brooke and Jackie sit on a park bench together drinking coffee.

.

"I'm really happy you came," Jackie says, leaning her head on Brooke's shoulder for a moment.

.

"Me too," she says. "But I'm here on business," she says very seriously.

.

"Uh-oh," Jackie sighs. "Kitty sent you".

.

"She really really wants you to come home for a shower," she pleads. "I know you hate leaving Chicago, because you're a big city girl now-"

.

"Emphasis on the 'big'" Jackie cracks while rubbing her belly.

.

"You've gotta let her do this or I will literally not here the end of it, Jackie. Come on, do it for me! Please!" Brooke grabs Jackie's arm and bats her eyes at her.

.

"It's very hard for me to say no to attractive people," she laughs.

.

Brooke squeals. "Yay! You have no idea the kind of crap Mrs. Forman would've laid on me if I'd come back with a no, so thank you," she beams.

.

"I miss home. A lot more than I thought I would," she says.

.

"I get it. Something about having a baby makes you miss the place you grew up," Brooke smiles.

.

"Yeah," Jackie says sadly.

.

"Hey, but on the plus side, I've heard your husband is a total hottie," she says raising an eyebrow in Jackie's direction.

.

"He is. But can I admit something to you? I find myself kind of missing Steven sometimes," she says.

.

Brooke runs her hand down Jackie's arm. "Of course you do. He's your baby's father," she says.

.

"Besides that," Jackie says embarrassed, "And I'm only telling you this, because I need to tell somebody and I think you're the only one of our friends who doesn't have a big mouth, so please don't say anything to Michael".

.

"Oh man. I really wish your life were less complicated. I kind of know how you feel though. Michael and I weren't together when I was pregnant, but he came to most of my doctor's appointments and I saw him all the time. It was weird, but Betsy drove us closer together, even though we had never been close before," she says. "You and Hyde were in love, so I'm not surprised it's stirring up a bunch of old stuff for you".

.

"How do I know if it's old stuff or new stuff?" she asks her friend.

.

"You're treading on thin ice. Just don't do anything until you have the baby. You have pregnancy brain right now and you're not in your normal mind. You can't make rational decisions for yourself when you're this emotional. Just dial it all back and when you have the baby and the dust settles, everything will be much clearer. I promise," she says as she pats Jackie's hand.

.

Jackie throws her arms around Brooke and pulls her tight. "Tell Kitty I'll be there and I can't wait".

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Fernando wait in the exam room for the doctor to enter the room. He holds Jackie's hand with his left hand and reads an Economist Magazine with the right.

.

Jackie tries to distract herself from her nerves by singing under her breath, but between the ultrasound and having to introduce her ex to her current man, she's nearly crawling out of her skin. To top it all off, Steven is late, which is irritating her.

.

Hyde flings open the door to the room and rushes inside carrying a bag. "I'm sorry I'm late, I passed by a bakery and they had those cookies you like but can never find..." he looks up and notices Jackie and Fernando.

.

He knew he'd have to face the music sometime, but he wasn't expecting to do this right now. Hyde had been enjoying the time alone he's been getting to spend with Jackie, because in some ways, he could entertain the fantasy that they were still together. With the 'International Man of Mystery' in the room, those illusions are basically flushed down the toilet. Also, he's pissed off that Fernando is every bit as good-looking as Eric said. He thought or hoped it was just Forman fawning over the rich guy, but he can now see that this dude does indeed have it all...including his girlfriend.

.

"Steven, this is my husband, Fernando. Fernando, this is my...um...this is Steven," she says quickly, hoping to breeze past the intros.

.

"Ah, it's a pleasure to finally put a face with the name," he says, jumping up to embrace him in a genuinely warm way.

.

Hyde tenses up, taken completely off-guard by this charm assault in addition to the unsolicited hug. "Hi?" he responds, almost as a question.

.

"You know, Jackie was right. You don't really look black at all," Fernando says, quite impressed.

.

Jackie is absolutely horrified and stares at Fernando with a mixture of shock and repulsion.

.

Hyde takes the whole thing in stride. "Well Fernando, I'm told I look very black with my clothes off," Hyde grins with a masked hostility that Fernando doesn't seem to register.

.

Fernando laughs heartily and points at Hyde. "You didn't tell me he was so funny, morocha".

.

Jackie looks down and shakes her head. She can barely make eye contact with either man at this point. "Not sure we have the same sense of humor," she says.

.

Hyde looks over at Jackie, who seems beyond uncomfortable. Normally, he'd relish this kind of awkwardness, because he used to love to take her down a peg during the off periods of their high school romance, but seeing her suffering like this only has a knock on effect on him now.

.

Fernando's beeper goes off loudly. He pulls it out of his pocket and sighs. "You'll have to excuse me, I have a call to make," he says as he kisses the palm of Jackie's hand and leaves the room.

.

Jackie looks down at the floor, ready to tunnel to China to escape this torture. "Are you afraid to be alone with me or something?" Hyde asks, noticing her lack of eye contact.

.

She looks up at him with disgust for asking her this. "No".

.  
"So what? You don't think I can control my self around you?" he presses, trying to get a rise out of her.

.  
"Actually, no I don't," she says, trying to goad him like he's goading her.

.  
"I can control myself. I think you are afraid that you can't control yourself around me," he says smugly.

.  
"That's absurd," she breathes as she rolls her eyes hard at him.

.  
"Is it?" he smirks.

.

"Do we have to do this right now?" she snaps, feeling her irritation build.

.

He forces himself to cool down. "I'm sorry. I think I'm just picking a fight with you because I'm really pissed you brought him here".

.

Jackie sits up straight and looks at Hyde as if he has two heads. "Did that actually just come out of your mouth?" she asks, not quite believing what she's heard.

.

"I know you pretty much hate everything about me, so my new thing has been when something comes up I ask myself "How would you normally handle this Steve?" and then I force myself to do the opposite".

.

Jackie is genuinely hurt by this. "I don't hate everything about you, Steven".

.

"Then why are you with that guy instead of me?" he says pointing at the closed door.

.

Jackie drops her face into her hands. There is so much going on in her head right now that she's almost having trouble remembering to breathe.

.

Seeing that he's upset her again, he tries to regain control of his zen."Don't answer that. Momentary insanity." he says.

.

Jackie hides in her hands until she hears Fernando enter the room again.

.

"Please don't be mad, morocha, but I really have to leave," he says apologetically.

.

"What? No!" she whines, annoyed that he's doing this once again.

.

"Steven will take good care of you while I'm gone and I'll do something special tonight to make it up to you. I promise," he says as he kisses her.

.

Hyde averts his eyes when Fernando and Jackie lock lips. Sure, he's kept himself up many night imagining the worst, but seeing it in front of him is a thousand times more painful. He actually feels a little lightheaded from the anger creeping its way up through every muscle in his body.

.

Fernando leaves and Jackie is suddenly keenly aware of what Hyde just witnessed. "I'm sorry about that," she says genuinely.

.

"It's alright. I'm sure I put you through worse with Sam," he says, knowing full well he did.

.

"You have no idea," she nods, remembering some of the more horrible burns she suffered as a result of that situation.

.

"I'd do anything to erase that year from the planet," he says, uncharacteristically honest.

.

"Not me. If that didn't happen, we probably would've stayed together for a while and then fizzled like most high school romances. We probably wouldn't have reconnected years later and then I wouldn't have her," Jackie rationalizes, rubbing her belly.

.

"You really believe in all of this fate crap?" he asks.

.

"You know I believe in all of this fate crap, Steven. It's one of those things you used to think was so cute about me" she says as she flips her hair.

.

"I still do!" his mind screams loudly while his lips say nothing.

.

**A/N - Please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

********Some content on this page is rated M for graphic sexual content (you'll know it when you see it).**

**.**

**Fasten your seatbelts, it's the chapter so many of you have been asking for. ****Lots of J/H action. **** Also, ****there's a monster ****twist coming at the end of this chapter.**

**.**

**Please let me know how I'm doing by leaving some reviews. I welcome ****all comments good, bad and ugly. Thanks so much for reading this!**

**.**

**CHAPTER 16**

.

Jackie walks into her cold, dark apartment, trailed by Steven, expecting to see Fernando there. Instead, she finds a note on the counter with a small jewelry box on top. She holds the note in her hand, which reads:

.

_**I am so sorry, mi amor. **_

_**I was called away on a business meeting. **_

_**Hopefully, what you find in the box will make things up to you. **_

_**I will see you soon.**_

_**X, **_

_**Fernando**_

.

Jackie is incendiary, so much so that she forgets completely that Hyde is in the room. She rips the note in half and drops it on the floor.

.

"Aren't you going to open the box," Hyde asks, reminding her of his presence.

.

Jackie shrugs petulantly.

.

Hyde opens the box and finds inside a pair of exquisite emerald drop earrings. He holds them out to her, but she turns her back.

.

"I've never seen you pass up something shiny before, Jackie," he says, secretly enjoying her anger.

.

Hyde can't believe how freaking rich this guy is that he can buy her museum quality jewels as an apology gift. It seems a bit excessive to him, unless this guy has more to apologize for than just bailing on plans.

.

"Whatever," she says, as she puts them in her ears. "Happy now?" she says obnoxiously as she heads to the fridge and pulls out a beer.

.

"You can't drink that," Hyde warns her.

.

"One beer isn't going to do anything," she sniffs as she pops off the lid.

.

Hyde walks over, takes the beer from her hand and pours it down the drain. "You're going to feel really shitty about yourself if you drink this. I shouldn't have to remind you that we have a kid with a heart problem".

.

Jackie starts crying hysterically and falls into Hyde's arms. He holds her tightly and lets her cry it out. "I was wondering when you were going to crack," he says. "Normally, even stupid things make you cry, like greetings card commercials, but I haven't seen you cry once over this baby".

.

"I just figured it I didn't cry then I wasn't really happening," she says as she wipes her tears off on the back of her hand. "I did the same thing when you were sick. I wouldn't say your name until I knew you were okay. I know it all sounds crazy, like I'm a mental patient or whatever," she sighs.

.

Hyde rubs her back as she gets the last of her tears out. Had she really not said his name for months? The idea of it is almost comical, but Jackie was always a strong believer in magical thinking.

.

He remembers how when she was younger, she was afraid to turn the lights off in her parents room for a whole year, thinking that if she turned them off Pam and Jack might never come back. There is something enchanting and childlike about Jackie that can be both infuriating and inspirational at the same time, but it's what makes her different from every other person he knows. She feels things so deeply, and he knows this means she can be hurt just as deeply. He wonders how it's possible for somebody to be both the strongest and the most fragile person he's ever met at the same time.

.

Hyde lifts up his t-shirt and uses it to wipe her face off, which makes her laugh a little. "The doctor did say there's a chance of things fixing themselves before she's born. Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't".

.

"Can we get out of here? This place makes me feel like I'm in 'Blade Runner'," she says.

.

Hyde smirks and kisses her on the forehead. Something about that kiss triggers memories of that first night at the Elvis Costello concert when his lips touched her head and brought back all of the latent feelings she had for him from the last decade.

.

"Is that a yes?" she asks.

.

"That's a hell yes," he says as he grabs her jacket from the hallway peg and ushers her out the front door before she has a chance to change her mind.

.

* * *

.

They arrive back at Hyde's place and he opens the door. She walks around and checks out the place.

.

"You live here?" she asks, finding it hard to believe he has such a nice place.

.

"Yeah," he says, pretending to be offended that she doubted him.

.

"I like your windows," she says as she walks over to the bay windows and looks out of them.

.

Hyde feels his heart swell three times like the Grinch as he watches Jackie gazing through the glass. Having her here, in his place, makes him feel like he's halfway made it.

.

Jackie starts to laugh.

.

"Did I say something funny?" Hyde asks, pouring them both a glass of juice.

.

"No, the baby is rolling around in there a lot and kicking me," she says, still laughing. "It's really bizarre".

.

Hyde walks over and looks at her stomach with trepidation. It's still for a moment, then ripples wildly before ebbing once again. He smiles "You sure that's not the thing from the movie Alien?" he says grinning at her belly.

.

"Do you want to put your hand here and feel her?" she asks.

.

He looks at her apprehensively. "You're okay with that?"

.

"Of course I'm okay with that, she is your daughter," she says as she guides his hand on to her stomach. Her belly starts dancing once again, and Hyde is laughing now as well. "I can't believe that's really her," he says smiling in wonder. "If she kicks like that on the outside, she's gonna be a real bruiser!"

.

"Hey! I kick like that and I'm no bruiser," she says offended.

.

"I beg to differ," he counters, "And I've racked up enough of your 'love taps' to prove it". He lowers himself onto his knees, lifts up the edge of her shirt and whispers something into her stomach through cupped hands.

.

Feeling Hyde's hot breath on her bare skin is almost too much for her to endure. She can feel the vibrations coming from his mouth and the tickle of his stubble on her body but his lips are teasingly just out-of-reach. What the hell was she thinking saying yes to this? It's surely an exercise in self-sabotage, she admits to herself.

.

"What did you say to her?" Jackie asks, hoping to distract herself from her ex-lover's close proximity.

.

"It's private. Between me and my daughter," he says.

.

"I see how it is. You're trying to turn her into a daddy's girl before she's even born," she accuses him playfully.

.

Hyde leans over and kisses her belly before bringing her shirt back down and standing up again.

.

Sweet Jesus! The weight of that soft kiss tingles and radiates all the way to her toes. Jackie kind of wishes he had more to say to the little one, because that was over way too quickly.

.

"What can I say? Women love me," he smirks his usual smug grin.

.

Jackie nods her head. "Some do".

.

"Do you?" he asks in earnest.

.

"Steven..." she warns.

.

"Hey, do you remember the summer we were so bored that we passed all our time fooling around in the basement?" he asks, changing the subject as he flops down on the couch. He pats the spot next to him for her to sit.

.

She gives him a look to let him know she's hip to his game, but willing to indulge the conversation.

.

"Like I'd forget that" she says, joining him on the couch, careful not to sit too close.

.

The memory of that first day is imprinted on her forever. She remembers everything about it. It was a brutally hot day and since the Formans had no A/C, her purple blouse was sticking to her everywhere. Steven had just come from a shower to cool down and she could smell Irish Spring all over his clean skin. They had been sitting next to each other in virtual silence, like they had every day for the past few weeks, communicating only in a secret language of sighs, exhales and coughs. The unacknowledged electricity between them that had been building steadily throughout the early summer was already teetering on the edge of an explosion and all it took was a slight rise in temperature to make them antsy enough to follow through with what both of them had been fantasizing about the entire time.

.

"There's something I never told you. I didn't hook up with you because I was bored. I basically sat next to you for weeks waiting for any opportunity to make a move on you. Didn't you wonder why I was sitting across the couch from you instead of in my usual chair?" he asks her.

.

"I can't say it didn't cross my mind," she admits. "It's crazy it took you so many weeks to make your move".

.

"It took longer than that. I'd been thinking about kissing you again since that date we had on Veterans Day, when we went to Mount Hump" he admits.

.

"Me too," she confesses, remembering their first kiss.

.

"I thought you said you felt nothing," he looks skeptically at her, furrowing his brow.

.

"I lied," she smiles, almost proud of herself for getting one over on him.

.

"Why would you do that?" he wonders.

.

"I don't know. I was worried the whole date was the setup to a giant burn. I thought maybe you wouldn't like me, because you had so much more experience. I figured It would hurt less to reject you first before you rejected me," she muses. "I mean you'd basically done nothing BUT reject me for months, so these weren't unreasonable fears," she rationalizes.

.

"I was just embarrassed that I liked you. I was hoping to scare you off before I did something about it," he tells her.

.

"So you liked me all the way back then?" she asks, truly surprised.

.

"I liked you ever since that day you begged me to go to prom with you," he says.

.

"Really? Pathetic messes turn you on? I thought you couldn't stand me then" she laughs.

.

"I don't know. You were pouting that cute bottom lip out and looking up at me with those wet, mismatched eyes, and all I could think while you were doing that was 'Kelso is a huge idiot for choosing anybody over this girl'," he explains. "So naturally I spent the next year punishing you for making me want you like that," he says, not entirely kidding.

.

"Sorry. Sometimes I'm too cute for my own good," she says half-seriously.

.

"No, you're too cute for my own good," he says sadly. "I feel like I've spent half my life chasing after you".

.

"...and the other half rejecting me," she adds, not trying hard to mask her disappointment.

.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I shouldn't have sent you away when I got sick. I thought I was saving you from pain, but I ended up hurting you so much more. Both of us. I should've just let myself need you, because I do need you, whether I like it or not," he says the last bit slowly and clearly to make sure she knows he's serious.

.

While still holding his gaze, Jackie breathes deeply and tries to process everything that just came out of Steven mouth.

.

Hyde finds it almost impossible to look at Jackie's face, her hopeful eyes, her creased brow, her heart-shaped mouth with lips swollen from crying, without wanting to consume her.

.

Unable to resist the temptation anymore, he leans forwards and places his mouth on those lips, a slow, sensual assault that spins out of control rather quickly, giving way to something more carnal, hungry and needy.

.

Jackie weakly pushes him off of her. "What are you doing?" she asks feebly attempting to stop it.

.

"You know what I'm doing," he kisses her again, like it's the last time, making her knees weak, "Do you feel like this when he kisses you?" he asks her, while he runs his hands down the length of her body.

.

Jackie is breathless. "Of course I don't," she says as she kisses him back, "but that's why he makes me feel safe."

.

"I can make you feel a lot more than safe," Hyde says as he unzips the back of her dress.

.

Jackie can hardly think straight now. Was he planning this when he brought her back here? Was she planning this when she asked him to take her away?

.

She looks at him for a moment, then realizes that none of that really matters, because if there's one thing she knows, it's that she wants him now and has been fighting it since the moment she saw him in the middle of Fez's party. She thought she could will it away, but her desire for him has only intensified with time and space like a good Bordeaux.

.

"Okay. Make me feel everything then," she says as she tugs the last of the zipper down on her dress and lets it fall to the floor, leaving her in just a bra and underwear, and a pair of $20,000 emerald earrings.

.

He stand for a moment, admiring her body.

.

"I miss seeing you naked," he says.

.

She pulls off his t-shirt and stares at him too.

.

"Me too," she says as she kisses him again.

.

Every part of his body is on fire now, desperate to be touched by her. He carries her to his bedroom and slowly removes her bra and panties without taking a break from kissing her. As his hand caresses her, he looks up at her surprised. "These are new," he smirks as he caresses each breast gently with his lips, taking special care to run his tongue over her now-sensitive nipples. "I've been wondering what they'd feel like in my mouth," he says as he bites down slightly, sending a shock wave of pleasure through her body.

.

Jackie gasps as she tries to sit up. She pushes him down on the bed and slowly pulls his belt from the loops and unzips his pants. She pulls his jeans down and runs her finger along the outline of his swollen erection. Gently, she slides his boxer briefs down and engulfs him in her mouth.

.

He moans quietly as she starts to work her way up and down, enjoying the control she has over him as every lick and suck elicits shivers throughout his body.

.

His back arches and his breathing becomes more rapid. He knows he's close, but he wants this to last a lot longer, so he pulls her up and kisses her languidly to prevent himself from completing. "That was insane, but I'm dying to feel you inside" he pleads, running his hands up and down her back, moaning quietly as she settles in his lap, pushing her wet spot firmly up against his already painful erection.

.

"God, you're so beautiful," he whispers as he runs his fingers down both sides of her face.

.

"Even though I can never shut my pie hole?" she asks cheekily, reminding him of that time on the couch when they were kids and still sneaking around.

.

"I kind of like your pie hole open," he grins as he buries his face in her neck, taking time to taste every corner of her.

.

The burning sensation in her gut has now migrated to every part of her body, warming it it, heightening her pleasure every time they make contact. She suddenly finds the idea of Fernando hilarious, because how could he ever think she belonged to him, when it's obvious Steven owns her, body, mind and soul?

.

She gets onto all fours and looks back at him wickedly.

.

He shakes his head at her brazenness and slides into her from behind, causing her to cry out in sweet agony. He slides his hands up to her now full breasts and pulls her into him again and again, breathing hard each time he draws her close.

.

Suddenly, he flips her over and rams into her hard from the front, causing Jackie to cry out. "I want to see your eyes when I make you come," he say, which sends her over the edge immediately.

.

He pumps faster and harder, making her scream once again as he empties into her completely.

.

Both spent, he cradles her in his arms and strokes her hair until she falls asleep, just like he used to so long ago.

.

* * *

.

An hour later, Jackie wakes with a jolt and looks around, remembering where she is. She peeks over at Hyde sleeping and smiles. She can't blame alcohol on this one since they were both sober. She knows she should be feeling bad about this, but her mind is so clouded with giddiness that she has no room to even process other emotions right now. She's just happy this wasn't all a dream.

.

Jackie slides out from under his arm, careful not to wake him, and walks around the apartment nude. She goes to the fridge to get a drink, notices the ultrasound picture pinned to the door and grins. She's truly amazed at his level of commitment to this child he didn't plan for or necessarily even want.

.

When she opens the fridge to get a drink, she gasps a little when she finds only juice, milk and soda in there. Maybe Eric was right about Steven cutting down on alcohol?

.

She takes an OJ, closes the door, and pads around the place checking out the decor. She likes it here, it's cozy, much like their old apartment together but even nicer. She wonders who decorated it for him, because she's certain he'd never have patience for anything like that.

.

She opens all of the doors as she passes them. Bathroom, laundry closet, spare room, and then she notices a door at the end of the hallway, close to where they had just made love. She twists the knob and peeks inside. It's the nursery! Eric had been right about that too.

.

Jackie walks into the nursery and approaches the crib, smiling as she pulls the teddy bear from it's place in the corner. She puts her drink on the changing table and lowers herself on to the rocking chair, still cradling the animal in her lap. She starts moving back and forth, over and over again, picking up speed as she goes. Giggles begin to fall from her lips as the light is switched on and she finds Steven watching her.

.

He smiles softly, not his usual smug grin, and approaches the chair. "Do you like it?" he asks her nervously.

.

"I love it," she says enthusiastically, still gripping the bear.

.

He wedges himself next to her, then pulls her on his lap, rocking both of them gently.

.

"You're pretty good at this rocking thing," she says as she leans back to kiss him behind the ear.

.

"Yep. I'm good at a lot of things," he says grinning.

.

"Show me," she challenges, batting her eyes at him.

.

He lifts her up for a moment from his lap, then brings her down again hard, shocking her with his erection entering her so suddenly.

.

Her eyes pop open wide and she laughs hard, amused by his sneak attack.

.

He pulls himself deep and holds her body as close to him as he can possibly get it, cupping both of her breasts from behind with his hands. He leaves feather-light kisses all over her back, then rests his cheek on her as he rocks her forwards and backwards in the chair, slowly at first, and then faster and faster until she's practically pulling the head off of the teddy bear she's holding. She cries out his name as climaxes hard. He finishes soon after, but they don't move, neither wanting to break the special contact between their bodies.

.

"You've got the rocking skill down well," she says, still out of breath.

.

"Come on," he says suddenly as he picks her up in his arms. "I'm going to show you my bathing skills now".

.

* * *

.

Steven is behind Jackie in the bath, washing her hair.

.

"Don't get my hair all tangled Steven," she scolds and he moves his fingers in circles.

.

"Shut up and enjoy it, Jackie," he grumbles as he continues his task, secretly smiling.

.

He's been waiting for her bossy side to come out, but instead of finding it annoying, he finds it comforting, a sign that they are getting back to normal. He almost can't believe she is here with him after so long apart, but feeling her in front of him makes it all seem real.

.

He takes a large, glass votive from the side of the tub and dumps the candle on the floor. He dunks it in the water and washes out her hair, careful to get all of the soap bubbles out.

.

"There. And you doubted me," he says with mock hurt.

.

Jackie cranes her head around and kisses him. "You forgot the conditioner," she says in a demanding tone, prompting him to tickle her for punishment.

.

He then takes some soap and starts washing her bump. "Gotta keep the baby clean too," he kisses her ear. "I love the way you look pregnant," he says.

.

She leans against him and closes her eyes. When she imagined what every day happiness might feel like with him, she imagined it would be something like this. Even before he got sick, things were always intense and charged between them, like two magnets that are so strong they crash together hard when one person lets go. She wasn't even sure if they were capable of switching into any other gear.

.

Lying in his arms, both relaxed with one another, makes her think that she's just as happy being low key with him as she is tearing his clothes off.

.

"I hear wheels churning in there," he says, gently rubbing his index finger over her forehead.

.

"I was just thinking that this is the happiest I've ever been. Right now," she says, trying not to get choked up as she normally would.

.

Hyde pulls her even closer and kisses her neck. "Me too," he whispers, not even caring how sappy he's becoming.

.

Her face falls suddenly and he can feel the energy shift in her body.

.

"What?" he asks her, trying to keep his nerves at bay.

.

"I can't stay here much longer," she says. "At some point I have to go home," she says sadly as she turns around to face him.

.

"You are home," he says, fearful that she'd never return.

.

She tilts her head, finds his hand in the water and holds it. "Not yet".

.

"Jackie..." Hyde says, finding the anger building within him quickly. "Just stay".

.

"I'm not going to sneak around. I did it one time in my life and that was with Ben, and it made me feel sick inside," she explains.

.

"You can't go back there," he insists, feeling hollow in the pit of his stomach now.

.

"I have to talk with Fernando," she says gently as she kisses his hand and plays with his fingers.

.

"Please don't go," he asks in a panicked tone, emotion sweating out of him from every pore.

.

She holds his face with both of her hands and plants a kiss on his lips. "I'm coming back, Steven. I hope you know by now that you're not going to get rid of me," she smiles.

.

He pulls her into an embrace. "Promise me," he says.

.

"Promise you what?" she wonders, feeling the anxiety coursing through his body.

.

"That after you leave him, you'll live here," he says, gripping her tighter now. He then decides to just actually tell her plainly what he really wants for once, rather than forcing her to always interpret. "And that you'll marry me."

.

She lets her head fall on his shoulder as her cradles her silently.

.

"Jackie?" he prods, worried that her silence is her answer. "Your silence is killing me," he says, feeling his mouth go a bit dry.

.

He pulls her away from him to look her in the eyes. He can see she's been crying, and his hearts starts to beat loudly in his chest. He wipes her tears away with a wet hand as she regains control. He smiles remembering how she cried the same way the first time he asked her.

.

"Of course I will," she sniffs. "What did you think I'd say, you idiot?"

.

His mouth is quickly upon hers as they seal their promise of a future with a kiss.

.

* * *

.

Hyde pulls up to Jackie's apartment building in his car and let's the motor idle for a while. Neither one of them wants her to leave the car, but they both know it has to be done.

.

"I shouldn't be too long. Maybe an hour tops," she says, trying to calm his anxiety.

.

"You'll be able to resist his suave douchebag appeal?" he asks, unable to leave his hostility at home.

.

"You're the only douchebag who appeals to me, Steven," she says as she kisses him tenderly.

.

He places his hand on her belly and says "If your mother takes too long getting out of there, I want you to kick her hard".

.

Jackie smirks. "Don't listen to him" she whispers loudly to her belly.

.

"I'll wait for you at the dinner down the block," he says. If you're not back in an hour, I'm coming after you, so use that as your motivation to pack light," he warns her.

.

"That's fine. I'll just take your credit card and go on a shopping spree. I need new clothes anyway," she teases as she opens the car door.

.

Just as she gets out, Steven grabs her arm and pulls her back in. "I love you," he says as he looks her in the eyes so intensely that it's almost painful for him.

.

Jackie smiles and kisses him deeply. "I love you too," she says as she ruffles his hair and skips out of the car, high on the fumes of their passion.

.

* * *

.

Jackie slowly opens the door to her apartment, not knowing what to expect. She finds Fernando hunched over on the edge of the couch, sitting in total silence. As he hears the door click shut, he turns around and gives her a look so sharp she could cut glass with it.

.

"Where were you?" Fernando asks, drawing out each word to stress it's importance.

.

Jackie nervously sets her handbag down on the counter and tries to collect her thoughts.

.

"You know what? Don't answer that, because you'll only lie to me," he says angrily.

.

"Fernando..." Jackie starts to speak as she advances towards him.

.

"You were with him, right?" he asks, shaking his head.

.

"I'm sorry," Jackie says, looking down in shame.

.

She really did feel sorry. Fernando had taken her in, no questions asked, put a roof over her head and promised to love and care for her and another man's baby. In return she rewarded him with aloofness and betrayal. Yeah, she deserved whatever he had to dish out, she decided.

.

"You deserve better than me," she says, trying to extricate herself in the easiest way possible by turning herself into the whipping boy. "You're smart and kind and beautiful and I took advantage of your good nature," she admits.

.

Fernando laughs, putting Jackie off-guard. Why was he laughing? Was he laughing at her? Something about his tone made her feel uncomfortable.

.

"You didn't take advantage of me, Jackie. I knew what I was doing and I knew what you were doing. We used each other," he explains.

.

"We did?" she asks, completely puzzled. What was he using her for, she wondered?

.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he asks.

.

"No! Of course not!" she exclaims, now feeling very uneasy with the direction this conversation is taking.

.

"I needed a visa and a hot American wife to show off when it came in handy, you needed a benefactor to take care of you and the kid," he explains.

.

Jackie feels a bit sick. "A benefactor? Are you fucking kidding me? Did you ever even like me?"

.

"I did. I still do, which is actually a nice surprise for me, since the women I normally like...let's just say they wouldn't really fit in with my circle," he says ominously. "You serve a purpose, and making love to you is never a hardship, even if it isn't very often" he says, believing his words to be flattering.

.

Jackie absorbs the shock of his words. Knowing he was using her makes her feel both better and worse. Sure, it lessens her guilt, but in exchange, it makes her feel like a dirty whore, which ironically probably makes her more his type.

.

"Well, you may have had other plans, but I wasn't scheming when I married you. I really wanted to build a life with you -just so you know," she says, trying to take the high road.

.

"Oh, you'll continue to build a life with me," he says now standing up to face her fully.

.

"What?" Jackie wasn't sure she heard him correctly or understood what he meant.

.

"I'm not going to let you embarrass me in front of my friends, family, business associates. What would they say about me if you left me after two months? For another man, no less. I'm not letting people think I can't keep a woman. You're going to stay my wife and you'll play the part well," he orders her.

.

"I can't stay married to you. I'm in love with somebody else," she says plainly.

.

"I don't care who you fuck, as long as you don't bring them out in public and humiliate me," Fernando explains, laying all out for her. "Keep your depravity indoors and I'll do the same".

.

"Is that what you've been doing the whole time we've been together?" she asks timidly.

.

"I always do whatever I want, Jackie," he says haughtily.

.

"And whomever?" she questions, rage building inside of her.

.

Jackie couldn't believe it. This whole thing had been a business arrangement for him. He never cared about her. Hell, he was banging whores on the side the whole time. Suddenly, all of those beeper messages made more sense. She had thought it was strange for him to be getting so many of them late at night, but she shrugged it off, assuming she didn't understand his world or the people in it. As offended as she is, she can't deny this doesn't make things easier for her. Walking away from him now won't hurt one bit.

.

"Now you're getting the picture," Fernando smiles at her. "Don't be so provincial, morocha. We all have our dirty secrets, but if anybody ever sees you out in public with yours, your life will be so unpleasant you'll be begging me to divorce you".

.

"I'm not agreeing to that. I'm leaving you, Fernando, even if it embarrasses you," she says as she heads for the door.

.

"You're going to live up to your vows," he says ominously as he steps in front of the exit.

.

"Or what?" she snarls back at him, unafraid of what she thinks are empty threats.

.

"A lot of things can happen to a woman traveling alone in Mexico. It's a dangerous country," he says calmly, as if he's had this ace in his back pocket from the day they met.

.

Her face drops. Is he really threatening to do what she thinks? He can't possible be so ruthless.

.

"You wouldn't do that," Jackie says, unsure if she's making a statement or asking a question.

.

"Try me," Fernando brings out his megawatt smile. "I have a lot of friends in Mexico. Money goes a long way there and I have plenty of it," he says casually. "And if you try to warn her or contact her in any way, or tell anybody you know about our arrangement, I'll make the call".

.

Jackie stands in the doorway for what feels like hours, processing the choice she is being forced to make. Does she leave Fernando for Steven and risk something happening to her mother, or does she stay in this loveless marriage and keep everybody safe? After all, if he can get to her mom, who's to say Steven won't be next on his list. Or the baby? She shudders at the thought of sleeping next to a man so dangerous, but what choice does she have?

.

Jackie feels herself nod as Fernando guides her back into the apartment.

.

"You won't regret it, mi amor. As long as you do as you're told, my world is at your feet," he says sweetly as he pulls a long strand of tiny, glittering emeralds out of his back pocket.

.

He wraps the necklace around her neck and fastens the ornate, diamond clasp. "Que bonita," he says as he kisses her on the cheek. "I knew this would suit you," he smiles as he strokes the side of her cheek and walks towards the bedroom.

.

**A/N - Hot or not? Looking forward to your reviews!**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm feeling a bit uneasy about this chapter. It was the toughest to write so far and I'm ****still not sure everything works or is making sense to you, so please let me know if you're ****getting lost.**

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********Some content on this page is **M territory, for sexual content

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**As always feedback and reviews are really helpful and very much appreciated. Keep the ****faith zennies-this story will have a happier ending than season 8!**

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**CHAPTER 17**

.

Jackie sits quietly in the middle of the living room, waiting for the eventual storm that is Steven Hyde to pass through. She has no idea what she will say to him, she only knows she has to get him out of the house fast. He won't understand, she knows, especially after the afternoon they just spent together, but what can she do?

.

Right on target, she hears a hand banging impatiently on the front door.

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"Get rid of him," Fernando says casually as he pours himself a glass of wine.

.

Jackie rises up, steadies herself, and walks to the front door. She slowly opens it, just wide enough for her to poke her head out.

.

Relief washes over Hyde as he sees Jackie at the door. "Come on," he says as he extends his hand.

.

She looks down as a tight, indecipherable expression takes over her face.

.

Hyde can tell something is wrong immediately, but Jackie seems skittish to him and he doesn't want to upset her further. "What's up?" he asks nervously. "Did he do something to you?" he asks as his chest begins to tighten.

.

Her silence speaks volumes to him. "That's it, I'm coming in!" he spits angrily, determined to kick Fernando's ass.

.

Jackie's eyes widen with panic. "No!" she blurts out finally, which startles both her and him. She reaches her arm through the gap in the door and grabs his hand. She knows if he thinks she's in danger, he'll knock the door down. Her best tactic will unfortunately be the most painful. She'll have to convince him that she doesn't want to go with him.

.

"This is not a good time," she says, knowing full well that's not going to be enough to get rid of him.

.

He looks at her like she's crazy. "Something isn't right," he says furrowing his brow. "Why can't I come inside?"

.

"Fernando is here," she says nervously, hoping he won't press for further details.

.

"So?" he says, his free hand starting to roll into a fist, adrenaline pumping harder.

.

"I can't come with you," she says while wincing on the inside as she knows these words are going to cut him to the core.

.

He pulls her by her hand halfway out of the door and embraces her firmly. He can feel her heart beating out of her chest, and finds his own speeding up to match it as he becomes increasingly more disturbed by this scene. This is not the same woman he said goodbye to in the car an hour ago.

.

"Your heart is racing," he says, worried for her. "What's happening in there?" he demands to know.

.

Jackie rests her head on his chest and sighs. "I can't go with you tonight," she says. "Please don't ask me why, because I can't tell you."

.

"You're high if you think I'm walking out of here without you," he snarls.

.

Jackie's eyes begin to well up but she doesn't let herself cry. "Please. I'm safe, don't worry. Please. If you love me then you'll leave here before..."

.

Just then, the door is pulled open all the way, revealing Fernando standing behind Jackie. "Can we help you, Steven?" he asks in a vaguely threatening tone.

.

"As a matter of fact, you can," Hyde says, his inner alpha dog beginning to growl.

.

Jackie's scared eyes search Hyde's face and beg for mercy. "Please" he hears her words echoing in his head. Why does she want him to leave? Is she in more danger if he stays? How is he possibly supposed to make a decision like this?

.

"I'm here to pick up Jackie," he says, putting his cards out on the table. "She's coming home with me".

.

"No, Jackie will be spending the night here with me," Fernando says, wrapping his arm around her shoulders tightly. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to arrange another time to fuck my wife".

.

In his mind, Hyde can almost hear a record needle scratching across hard vinyl. This Fernando guy knows he's been inside his wife and he doesn't care? WTF? Is this some kind of demented shit the Argentine high rollers are into?

.

"Goodbye Steven," Jackie says, barely able to get the words out.

.

"Jackie!" He screams with a mixture of anger and desperation as Fernando slams the door in his face.

.

Against his better judgment, Hyde finds himself backing slowly away from the door.

.

He stands there, staring at the door trying to figure out what the hell happened and unable to make himself move. What if something happens and she needs help? It's been as quiet as a church in there though. If something bad was going to go down, would he have done it already? Jackie said she was safe, he rationalizes in his head, but was she telling the truth?

.

Using recent, successful logic, Hyde decides to trust her literal words and to do the opposite of what he really wants to do and reluctantly forces his body towards the elevator and out of the building.

.

* * *

.

In a stupor, Hyde finds himself parked in front of Eric and Donna's place. He manages to pull himself out of the car, makes his way to the front door and knocks.

.

After a minute, Eric opens the door wearing pajama bottoms.

.

"What's up?" he asks his friend, surprised to find him visiting them so late.

.

Hyde doesn't answer, as a look of confusion and sorrow takes over his face.

.

Eric's stomach drops. He's never seen Hyde look this way before. Sad? Sure. But this was something much heavier. He reaches out his arm and pulls Hyde into the apartment.

.

Donna lumbers out of the bedroom wearing the matching pajama top to Eric's pajamas. It barely covers her underwear now that her belly has grown large, so she grabs Eric's robe and throws it on before rushing over to her friend.

.

"Hey, Hyde, you don't look so good," Donna says sweetly, trying to coax an explanation from him.

.

"That's because I'm not, Donna," he says in a snippy tone.

.

"Does this have something to do with Jackie," she asks, trying again to pull out some intel.

.

Hyde collapses in a chair and buries his face in his hands.

.

Eric gets Hyde a beer from the fridge and slides it next to him. "I know you're cutting down, but you kind of look like you need an exception," he says with empathy.

.

Hyde picks the beer up, then reconsiders and puts it back down. "I'm good," he says, sliding it to Eric.

.

"Was Jackie a bitch to you or something?" Eric prods, trying to get an answer.

.

Hyde looks pissed now. "No Forman, she wasn't being a bitch. We got back together".

.

Donna gasps and brings her hands to her mouth, which has fallen wide open in shock. "Are you fucking with us?"

.

He shakes his head no.

.

Donna launches herself at him and hugs him tightly. "I'm so happy for you!"

.

"Get off me, Donna. Please," he says, tacking the magic word on the end to make his comment appear less rude. He's not in the mood to apologize.

.

Eric looks at Hyde with pause, "If you got back together, then where is she?"

.

Donna has a realization and glances sideways at her husband. "Oh. That's why he's acting like a dillhole. Is she at her apartment? Did you get in a fight? What did you do this time?" she interrogates Hyde.

.

"I don't know what's going on. I mean, we were at the doctor's, and then we spent the entire afternoon, um, reconciling," he says.

.

"Ew," Eric interrupts, earning a nasty look from Hyde.

.

"Things were...I mean, she said she would marry me," Hyde continues.

.

"Aww," both Donna and Eric chime in.

.

"Hyde, I know this is a weird question, but hear me out dude-okay? How can Jackie marry you if she's ALREADY MARRIED?" Eric asks condescendingly, which earns him a threatening look from his best friend.

.

"Maybe she got married at the same place Hyde married Sam?" Donna cracks, not being able to let a burn like that slide.

.

Eric puts his hand over his heart and mouths 'I love you' to his wife.

.

"Will you two dipshits quit it?" Hyde grumbles, not amused.

.

"Okay okay. We'll totally be good," Donna promises.

.

Hyde rolls his eyes hard. "This is fucking serious, ok? I took her back home so she could to break the news to Mr. Roarke, and then when I went to go get her, she wouldn't come home with me," he says, starting to get a little emotional, despite the zen.

.

"What do you think happened? Do you think she chickened out?" Donna asks.

.

Hyde shakes his head. "No, something was definitely fishy. She wouldn't even let me in the house and she looked frightened".

.

"Why did you leave her there then?" Donna screams at him, smacking him in the arm in the process.

.

"She begged me to. She seemed more worried that I would try to stay than if I left. It was so weird," he runs his hands through his hair.

.

"I have to ask, but you don't think it's possible she's changed her mind about being with you?" Donna asks as gently as possible.

.

Hyde shakes his head vigorously. "No way. I know she wants to be with me. Even when she kicked me out, I could tell it had nothing to do with me.

.

Eric slides down into the seat next to Hyde and starts drinking his beer. "Wow. It's almost like he has something on her, you know?"

.

Hyde looks up at Eric quizzically. "It does seem like that, right?"

.

"But that's absurd. I mean, what could he possibly 'have' on her? She's not exactly scandalous. I mean, she's like an open book that nobody can ever freaking close." Donna says, now perched on the counter.

.

"You've gotta go talk to her," Eric tells her.

.

"I'm on it," she agrees, saluting her husband. "And hey, Hyde, try not to worry. She's good at taking care of herself".

.

Hyde nods his head in agreement and runs his hands up and down the length of his jeans, trying hard not to think of what Jackie could be doing right now in her cold apartment.

.

* * *

.

The next morning, Jackie grabs her purse and tries to sneak out of the apartment, only to be promptly busted by Fernando.

.

"Going somewhere?" he asks.

.

"I, um, the ultrasound machine was broken yesterday so they couldn't do a scan. I'm supposed to go back today," she lies. "Do you want to come?" she asks, knowing that the only way to get him not to do something would be to directly ask him to do it.

.

The invitation enough was confirmation enough for Fernando that nothing sketchy was being planned. "No, you go ahead without me. I have a meeting," he says graciously.

.

It amazes Jackie how one minute Fernando can be threatening her mother's life and then in the next act as if everything was completely normal.

.

"That's cool," Jackie answers, trying to act nonchalant so as not to arise suspicion.

.

"You'll be back at 6pm. I have a business dinner and you're going," he instructs her. "Oh, and don't think of doing anything stupid, because I'll find out," he warns.

.

Jackie feels her face getting hot with anger, but pushes it back down for the greater good. "Are you having me watched or something like that?" she asks, hoping to God the answer isn't yes.

.

"Something like that," Fernando says breezily as he checks his beeper for messages. "See you at 6pm," he reminds her, not even bothering to look up.

.

She nods in compliance, which immediately elicits a smug and satisfied smile from Fernando.

.

With that, she slips out of the apartment and into freedom. For a few hours, at least.

.

* * *

.

Donna's leg bounces nervously as she waits at a nearby cafe for Jackie to meet her. She's not sure what to expect, but from Hyde's description, she should be prepared for some bizarre behavior.

.

Jackie strolls up to the table and leans in for a half-embrace and a kiss on the cheek. The interaction in itself isn't unusual, but her demeanor is. Donna decides to tread lightly.

.

"Hey!" Jackie says sounding a little too perky.

.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Donna asks, dipping a toe into the conversation.

.

"Rad," Jackie says, still attempting to sound perky.

.

"Really? My back is starting to hurt a lot," Donna complains.

.

"Yeah, mine too," she says.

.

"I've been making Eric massage my feet every night when I come home from work," Donna continues, hoping to break the ice and bring the subject around to husbands.

.

"That's sweet of him," Jackie comments.

.

She thinks Eric is sweet? Now Donna knows something is really wrong. "Doesn't Fernando ever give you massages?"

.

"Sure," she lies. "All the time," Jackie says as she opens up the menu and hides behind it.

.

"Whenever Eric massages me he always tries to take it further, you know? I'm not exactly feeling my sexiest, but he's always all up in my business anyway, like white on rice," she fake complains. "Does Fernando do that?"

.

"Sometimes," Jackie utters from behind the menu.

.

Finally, Donna can't take it anymore. "Oh cut the crap, Jackie!" she yells as she knocks the menu out of her hands.

.

"Watch those giant lumberjack mitts!" Jackie screams at her, trying to deflect the accusation with a sharp offensive.

.

Donna leans in to avoid making a scene. "I'm not falling for your diversion techniques. You're going to tell me why you're acting so weird," she demands to know.

.

"Why do you think I'm acting weird?" Jackie says, answering a question with a question.

.

"What the hell, Jackie?" Donna expels, now exasperated with her friend.

.

Jackie picks her menu back up and brings it in front of her face again.

.

Donna stares at her in disbelief. "Hyde was over last night," she says, dropping the A-bomb.

.

Jackie slowly lowers the menu and gives her friend her attention. "How is he?"

.

"Are you going to deny you got back together with him," she asks.

.

Jackie shakes her head no.

.

"Why are you still in that apartment?" Donna calmly asks her.

.

Jackie shakes her head again and tries hard to control her zen. "I can't say," she admits.

.

Donna's body tenses up as she watches her friend try to keep it together. "He's not hitting you is he?"

.

Jackie shakes her head no again.

.

"Is he threatening you in some way?" Donna presses.

.

Jackie freezes and looks down.

.

"Well, now we're getting somewhere" she sighs. "You can't tell me what's going on?" she asks concerned.

.

"I really can't," she says.

.

"Hyde is like, completely messed up over this, you know that, right?" Donna says.

.

Jackie takes a deep breath to keep her emotions in check. "Can we talk about something else?" she asks.

.

"Like what?" Donna wonders, mystified.

.

Jackie doesn't answer, just nervously fidgets with her new necklace.

.

Donna notices the gift and takes it between her fingers. "Damn, Jackie. Did he give this to you to make you stay?" she asks, wondering if her friend has regressed into shallowness again.

.

"Not exactly," she says. "Do you really think I'd stay with him because he gave me a necklace?" she asks, offended. "These aren't even diamonds," she jokes.

.

"Do you love Fernando?" Donna asks her friend directly.

.

Jackie laughs bitterly at the thought.

.

"I'll take that as a no," she says as she racks her brains trying to figure out the answer to this riddle.

.

"Donna, there is nobody for me but Steven. Without him I'm like a single Gucci kitten heel pump that is missing the other mate to its pair. If I could leave him, I would. Please tell me he doesn't think I've left him again?" Jackie pleads desperately with her friend for the answer she wants to hear.

.

"He knows you love him," she says, nodding to emphasize her point.

.

Jackie breathes a sigh of relief and goes back to fidgeting with the necklace. "This thing is like a leash. Like a very very expensive leash. I wouldn't even be wearing it now if I could get it off, but the clasp is jammed," she complains. "Symbolic, right? Bet you never thought you'd see the day I'd be trying to get an emerald necklace OFF of my neck."

.

"I'm sure Hyde won't mind ripping that thing off your neck," Donna muses.

.

"Alright, okay. Please! I'd like to talk about my baby shower," she says. "Who is on the guest list?"

.

Donna finds this shift completely odd, but Jackie always loves a good party. She decides to humor her until she can get her guard back down again. "Well, as you know, Brooke is helping Kitty organize it. It's not going to be too big, maybe some of your old cheerleading buddies and family, of course".

.

"Ugh. I don't want to see those cheerleading bitches. Unless they got fat. Did they get fat?" Jackie asks hopefully. "On second thought, invite them. I'm on TV, so I've already pretty much won this round."

.

Donna looks at her gobsmacked. "Glad that's settled".

.

Jackie's eyes glow with intensity. "I would love to have family there though," she says, emphasizing the word family.

.

Donna is uncomfortable having to burst her bubble, "Um, you don't really have too much family, Jackie," she says. "Just Kitty really, and your mom, but you know she probably won't show, even if we could find her".

.

"I need to have my family there," she stresses again, hoping Donna will get the hint. "Things wouldn't be the same without them. If you could make that happen, it would be great," she says as she pats Donna's hand.

.

Donna's antennae are tweaked. "Do you want me to invite Edna?" she asks, wondering if this is what Jackie is hinting at.

.

"I hadn't thought of it. I'd really like her there, but I don't know how Steven would feel about it," she says. "Actually scratch that, I do," she rolls her eyes.

.

"What's the verdict?" Donna asks.

.

Jackie thinks for a moment. "A baby is a happy occasion and I think all of our mothers should be included. I would really like ALL of our mothers to be there," she says, hoping Donna gets it this time.

.

Donna furrows her brow. Jesus Jackie is acting like a spaz, she thinks, wondering what she's trying to get at. Why doesn't she just say what she means? "I'll do my best," she smiles, hoping to relax her friend.

.

"And I'd like to do it a little earlier than planned," she says. "I want to get my nursery together. You know how much of a perfectionist I am".

.

"I'll pass that along as well," she complies.

.

Jackie lets out a huge sigh of relief and smiles the first genuine smile Donna has seen today.

.

"Don't worry, Jackie. I've got everything covered," she winks.

.

* * *

.

Jackie walks quickly up the staircase in Hyde's apartment building. She figures it's quicker than waiting for the elevator and she doesn't want to waste a minute of the time she has left until her 6pm curfew. She climbs quickly, but is out of breath when she reaches the top. Nothing like 5 1/2 months of baby to slow you down.

.

She knocks eagerly at the door and waits. No answer, She tries it again, this time more insistently and waits longer. Deflated by the realization that he isn't home, she leans her forehead against the door in defeat.

.

Suddenly, she hears footsteps hurrying down the hallway towards her and she turns around, just in time to be embraced by Hyde.

.

He holds her tightly and kisses her up against the door, trying to show her how grateful he is that she's come. "I was just taking out the trash," he says, motioning down the hallway.

.

"Hurry. We need to get inside," she says insistently.

.

Hyde opens the door and Jackie walks into the kitchen, feeling instantly calmer. This is my home, she thinks to herself. At least, she desperately wants it to be.

.

Hyde opens his mouth to ask her what's wrong, but before he can get a word out, her mouth is on top of his, warm and wet and bordering on violent.

.

He pulls her off of him. "Woah Jackie, slow down for a minute, will you?" he says, completely blindsided by her amorous attack. Of course he wants to do all of that, but he has questions he needs answered first.

.

"You don't want me anymore?" Jackie asks quietly, suddenly on the verge of tears, jutting out her bottom lip in a pout.

.

Hyde feels his stomach tighten. He can tell she's really suffering. This is well beyond her normal histrionics. "Of course I want you, Jackie. I always want you," he says, trying to soothe her.

.

"Then show me. I need you to show me," she begs him, her voice catching.

.

Hyde fights against his better judgement and decides to give her what she wants. Sex first, questions later. He, more than anybody can understand that method of communication. Besides, she needs him and he's vowed never to let her down again.

.

"Okay," he says simply, as he runs his hands down the sides of her face and guides her to the living room. "but then you're talking".

.

She nods and follows him.

.

Jackie pushes him onto the couch and climbs onto his lap, kissing him wildly, pulling at his clothes. Clearly she wants it rough, he thinks, but that's not how he plans to give it to her. She needs to calm the hell down and he's going to make that happen the only foolproof way he knows how.

.

A battle ensues, as Jackie yanks Hyde's t-shirt over his head, nearly ripping it in the process. In turn, Hyde leisurely unlaces the back of the shirt she's wearing as he strokes her skin gently.

.

Jackie attacks Hyde's belt next, ripping it completely out of the jeans and on to the floor, nearly catching herself with it in the process. He guides her skirt down slowly, letting his hands wander freely over her round behind as he slides it down.

.

She sinks to her knees, pulls him into her mouth and starts going at it hard, almost painfully so. As distracting and enjoyable as this is, he asserts his own agenda by pulling her off of him. He wrestles her onto the couch and spreads her legs, burying his face between her thighs as he slowly and unrelentingly tries to bring her to climax.

.

She tries to squirm away, but he firmly holds her to keep her there, bringing her deeper into his mouth and preventing her from escaping his deliberate assault.

.

She grabs his hair roughly with both hands and surrenders to the inevitable. She arches her back, and pushes herself into his face harder, almost grinding against his open mouth. The pressure within her body builds and pulsates until she finally gives into it, moaning loudly like a kettle on a stove.

.

Hyde finally comes up for air as Jackie comes down from her high. She closes her eyes and breathes deeply several times, then looks up at him coyly and purrs "Thanks, I needed that," with a satisfied smile creeping across her face.

.

Hyde wipes his mouth off with the back of his hand and leans over her. "Now that that's taken care of, you're going to do something for me".

.

She raises an eyebrow at him, not sure if he's referring to something sexual or otherwise.

.

He pulls the hair out of her face and tucks it behind her ear, then kisses her tenderly on her temple. She can tell by his demeanor that it isn't sex he wants, he has something else in mind. "You're going to talk," he whispers in her ear, just loud enough for her to get the message.

.

"I need the bathroom. I'll be right back," she says as she leaves him on the couch alone, empty-handed.

.

Even when Jackie's not hiding something, she can be hard to get coherent information out of, so he knows this is going to be a rocky road. Last night was one of the hardest of his life. He had spent the entire time awake, looking at the pillow she slept on not more than a few hours earlier, wondering where things all went lopsided.

.

He thought about their afternoon together, and how it was more perfect than any day he'd ever experienced. To have Jackie back in his life and back in his bed is a dream come true, but a dream that is starting to feel suspiciously like a mirage. Every time he thinks he's made progress with her or gotten a little closer, the mirage appears to move further away, taunting him with it's perfection and unattainability.

.

It's at that moment that Hyde realizes that Jackie has been in the bathroom an unusually long time. He hasn't heard a peep from the room in ten minutes, not the sink or the toilet, or even the shuffling of footsteps. Could she sick? Is she avoiding him? Has she found a secret way out and gone back to Fernando again? None of these scenarios are good, yet all are entirely possible.

.

Hyde paces the hallway in front of the bathroom door and waits.

.

**A/N - Your reviews mean everything!**


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

.

In the master bathroom in Hyde's apartment, Jackie straightens her clothes and tries to smooth her hair back. She can barely stand to look at herself in the mirror, because the woman in the reflection is timid and frightened which is nothing like her. Jackie has always been the captain of her own ship, and being under the thumb of another person, especially one who doesn't have her best interests at heart, is paralyzing.

.

She wonders how long she can hide in the bathroom before Steven comes in and drags her out of there by her hair.

.

There is a knock at the bathroom door. "You okay in there, doll? You're not sick, right?" he asks, concerned she may be throwing up or cramping.

.

Jackie sits on the floor in the corner and counts the moments until their inevitable confrontation.

.

"Jackie?" he says her name more insistently this time. "I'm getting worried about you. If you're okay, please say something".

.

Again, she says nothing as she wraps her arms around her knees and pulls her legs in tight against her body.

.

There is a clicking sound and the door swings open, revealing a nonplussed Hyde, staring her down.

.

"You think I don't know how to pick a lock?" he shakes his head and sits down next to her on the floor of the bathroom.

.

She lets her head drop onto his shoulder, and he slips his arm around her waist to keep her stable. He turns and plants a kiss at the top of her head and they stay on the floor, sitting side by side, saying nothing for the next few minutes.

.

"I'm seriously considering chaining you to that toilet," he says, pointing to the commode.

.

She looks up at him nervously. "Please don't do that. Toilets are gross."

.

"Yeah. I know," he says, driving home his point.

.

She lets out an exaggerated sigh.

.

"Put yourself in my position, Jackie. When I dropped you off at Fernando's you were in love with me, and when I came to pick you up an hour later, you couldn't get rid of me fast enough".

.

"I still love you. Nothing's changed." she says, her face exposing the turmoil she's feeling within.

.

"Nothing's changed? Everything's changed!" Hyde takes her face in his hands and strokes the side of her jaw with his thumb. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. We can deal with it together".

.

Jackie lunges forward and kisses him. She's been waiting to hear him say things like this to her for most of her adult life and now that he finally has, she can only safely reciprocate his feelings in one way.

.

Hyde gently pulls back from her kiss and holds her at bay. "You can't solve everything this way. You're going to have to talk to me sometime," he says.

.

"Why not? This is how you solve everything," she challenges. Best defense is a good offense, she thinks.

.

"Not anymore. Now talk to me," he commands.

.

"I can't," she says pointedly.

.

"Can't or won't?" he asks her, suspiciously.

.

She looks him dead in the eyes. "Both".

.

Hyde runs his hands though his hair. Maybe Eric was right. Maybe Fernando does have some kind of hold over her, but what? He can't have any dirt on her, because there's no dirt to be had.

.

"Does Tony Montana know you're here?" he asks.

.

"No, but he told me he doesn't care, as long as we don't leave the house," she mumbles.

.

"This is going to kill me to say out loud, but...I think we should go to the police," he exhales with the heft of his desperation. He must be royally fucked, he thinks, if he's actually suggesting they go to "the Man" for help, but he's willing to try anything at this point.

.

"No way," she says very seriously. "Look, he just wants to stay married to me, ok? Why can't we just try this for a while? He doesn't care if we sleep together, he only cares about people knowing we sleep together."

.

"You want me to be your mistress? Do I seem like the type of guy who would be okay with that little arrangement?" he demands to know.

.

"So what? You're going to dump me over this then?" she asks petulantly.

.

"Do you want me to dump you, Jackie?" he asks. "'Cause it kinda seems like you do".

.

"I honestly think it might kill me if you did," she says flatly.

.

He stares at her for a moment, assessing what she's just said. "Dammit!" he shouts at nobody in particular, then grabs her face with both hands and softy caresses her lips with his own.

.

Why is she pulling away from me, he wonders? The Jackie he knows would fight to the death for somebody she loves, she wouldn't cower in the corner of a bathroom ignoring his questions. Unless...

.

He breaks their kiss and angles her head to look him in the eyes. "Did Fernando threaten to do something to me?" Hyde asks her, searching deeply for some sort of reaction.

.

He body stiffens and she shakes her head no.

.

"Did he threaten somebody else?" he presses, tenacious in his hunt for answers.

.

Jackie stares ahead, unable to make eye contact with him. "I should go," she says quietly as she attempts to stand, but he yanks her back down onto his lap.

.

"You're mental if you think I'm letting you out of this apartment. If Fernando can find a way to keep you at his place, I sure as hell can figure out a way to keep you at mine," he threatens.

.

The same look of fear from last night sweeps over her face. "Please don't do that," she says. "You have no idea how badly I want to stay here with you, okay? But I can't".

.

"I just don't get this guy. He's okay with you banging other guys, but not leaving him?" he shrugs his shoulders in resign. "I always figured that somebody like him wouldn't want anybody touching stuff that belongs to them".

.

"Firstly, I'm nobody's 'stuff' and secondly, he doesn't love me," she says, hoping to ease his worries about her staying there.

.

"Yeah, that's pretty obvious!" Steven practically screams in her face out of frustration. "If you were married to me and some other guy tried to touch you, I'd break his fucking hands."

.

Jackie blushes. If she had to count all of the times Steven has gotten physical with a guy who's tried to put the moves on her, she'd run out of fingers and toes. She's not a big fan of macho bullshit, but there's no denying the rush a girl gets when a man defends her honor.

.

"I have to be back at the house by 6pm, which means we only have a few hours together," she says with efficiency, changing the subject entirely.

.

"Why should I spend the next few hours with you if you're just going to leave me afterwards?" he pouts.

.

Jackie lifts her arms and pulls Steven head onto her chest and holds it tightly there. "I belong to you, okay? There's no part of me he has any claim to, regardless of what any marriage certificate says. I know you always think that I'll abandon you one day, but that's not what's happening here. I just have to live at that house until I can figure out a way to get him to let me go" she says, brushing her lips on his ear. "Trust me," she whispers.

.

He closes his eyes and takes in what she's told him. "I do," he says and kisses her softly on the mouth.

.

He lifts her left hand and twists her wedding band and engagement ring a few times around. "I hate these," he says.

.

"Me too," she laughs.

.

"So, this arrangement...I don't have a choice, right?" he asks.

.

Jackie gives him a sad, defeated look and shrugs her shoulders. "Neither do I."

.

"How long do we have?" He asks, showing he's willing to play by her rules.

.

"Two hours," she answers, encouraged that he's giving this a chance.

.

Hyde nods his head. "I can work with that," he claims, trying weakly to sound upbeat.

.

Jackie's heart swells at the lengths in which Hyde will go to be with her. He's willing to accept less than all of her. Less than what he wants and is used to, just for the possibility of a little stolen time. She knows now that he'll never her leave again, because if he's okay with an unplanned baby, a surprise husband, adultery, and an intricate set of rules to follow just to spend a few illicit hours with her, then there's nothing on this planet that's going to drive him from her now. He's willing to wait for her! Her heart is virtually exploding with happiness at the realization.

.

She leans forward again and kisses him passionately, letting her wet lips glide over his in a rhythmic dance. "I believe I owe you one," she says, wrapping both arms around his neck.

.

"You don't owe me anything, Jackie, we're in this together," he smiles.

.

"That's not what I was talking about," she smirks then runs her hands down his body, settling them on his firm behind with a quick squeeze.

.

"Oh, I plan to collect with interest," he says as he swiftly lifts her shirt off over her head and unclips her bra, letting both drop unceremoniously to the floor.

.

She pulls off his shirt, snakes her arms around his neck and burrows as close as possible to him so they can enjoy the sensation of skin against skin, belly against baby. Though they only have a few hours together, they're going to spend them both shutting the real world out, just pretending to be a normal family.

.

* * *

.

Jackie sneaks into her apartment, trying not to call attention to herself. She's just made it in time for her curfew and doesn't feel like spending time with her beloved husband right now. Try as she might to be covert, the front door has an autolock feature that clicks loudly as soon as the metal makes contact with the housing.

.

Fernando strides out from the terrace and into the kitchen to greet her. "Ah good, you made it on time," he says, looking pleased. "I knew you could follow directions".

.

Jackie is relieved he's in good spirits. The last thing she wants right now is another run-in with Fernando.

.

"Do you have a nice afternoon...at your doctor's appointment?" he inquires.

.

"I did," she bluffs.

.

"Look, I know you're a really clever girl, it's one of the reasons I chose you, but you can't honestly think I wouldn't check up on you?" he asks.

.

"I guess I miscalculated," she admits, shrugging in earnest.

.

He nods, respecting that she has the decency to know when she's been bested. "So. You spent the afternoon getting serviced by your mulatto," he reports more than asks.

.

"My what?" Jackie asks, grinding her jaw tightly shut to avoid saying anything rash. She may be pregnant, but this guy is one insult away from an altercation. "What did you just call him to me?" she huffs.

.

"Relax. I was just about to compliment you for managing to keep the details of our marriage under wraps when you were with him," he says calmly.

.

"Gee, thanks," she says sarcastically, not exactly sure how he would know, one way or the other.

.

"Watch your tone," Fernando warns ominously as his eyes grow dark.

.

Jackie puts her bitch back in the kennel to keep things from escalating.

.

"Lunch with your friend Donna, however, didn't go as well. You came very close to tipping her off about your mother," he says sternly. "Nice little stunt you tried there."

.

"How do you know what we talked about at lunch?" she asks, mystified.

.

"I told you darling, I'm always listening," he says as walks to the fridge, pulls out a bottle of his family's white wine and pours himself a glass. "I'm really a believer in strong discipline, if you know what I mean. 'Spare the rod, spoil the child', my abuela used to say" he says, parroting back the phrase as it had probably been told to him.

.

Jackie can feel the tension weighing her lungs down, making them heavier and harder to inflate and fill with air. "Are you going to beat me?" she asks him while flashing him a dead-eyed look.

.

"My God! No. I'm not an animal. You're my wife, amor, I would never hit you," he says sincerely.

.

Jackie relaxes for the first time today.

.

"Instead, I'm going to beat somebody close to you. I've always found that a more effective method of motivation, anyway," he explains, cheerfully.

.

Jackie asks, feeling her veins run cold. "Who?"

.

"Well, there aren't a lot of choices, since you don't have too many loved ones in your life, besides me. Your friend Donna is out obviously, since she's currently pregnant- though her husband Eric is a good candidate. Your mother is always on the line, since we've already established her as a strong source of persuasion. However, I think we both know one person you'd do just about anything to keep safe," he elaborates, taking his time to wind her up properly.

.

All of the color drains from Jackie's face. "No," she shakes her head. "Please. I'll do anything you ask, just please not him," she begs. "I'll do anything," she promises again, this time trying to hold back tears.

.

Fernando walks over to his wife and strokes the side of her face sympathetically. "I don't want to upset you, mi amor. I just want for us to be happy," he says, holding her chin now in his palm. "I'll tell you what, as a belated wedding gift to you, I'll tell them not to break any of his bones this time," he tells her, believing himself to be magnanimous. "Better?" he asks as he plants a kiss on her lips.

.

Jackie stands facing him, speechless and paralyzed with fear.

.

He walks towards the balcony and turns to her "You have an hour. I put the dress I want you to wear tonight on the bed," he smiles and continues out onto the terrace, letting the automatic glass door slide closed behind him.

.

Jackie puts her hand across her heart and nearly hyperventilates. She runs to the phone in the bedroom and dials frantically. It rings and rings with no answer. The answering machine picks up "You know what to do," it says in a voice she knows well.

.

She hangs up the phone violently, then picks it up and redials the number. More ringing, nobody picks up until the click of the answerphone. Jackie hits the receiver with her finger this time and then pushes the redial button. Still no answer. She bangs the handset down on the receiver hard, several times in frustration nearly breaking the handle, and then falls into a heap on the floor crying.

.

* * *

.

Jackie is riding in the passenger's seat of Fernando's Mercedes as he drives them to dinner. She's dressed immaculately, in a white silk shift dress that serves as a perfect palate to highlight the gorgeous emerald jewelry and her delicate facial features.

.

The radio plays Donna Summer's "State of Independence" softly in the background.

.  
_**Sounds like a signal from you****  
****Bring me to meet your sound****  
****And I will bring you to my heart**_

_**Love like a signal you call****  
**_

_**.**_

_**Touching my body, my soul****  
****Bring to me, you to meet me here**_

_**Home be the temple of your heart****  
****Home be the body of your love****  
****Just like holy water to my lips**_

.

Her husband looks over approvingly at her and smiles. "I knew that dress would look amazing on you," he coos as he rests his hand on her knee.

.

"Thank you," Jackie says coldly, then leans over and turns the volume up on the radio.

.

_**(hey, hey)****  
****Yes I do know how I survive****  
****(yes I do know) know why I'm alive****  
****To love and be with you****  
****Day by day by day by day**._

.

Stricken with fearful thoughts over what may have happened to Hyde, she gazes out of the window and numbly watches the trees pass by.

.

_**Time, time again, it is said  
We will hear, we will see  
See it all-in his wisdom-hear  
His truth will abound the land  
This truth will abound the land  
This state of independence shall be  
This state of independence shall be **_

.

She scrunches her eyes up to keep herself from crying and steels her resolve. Falling apart isn't going to help him now.

.

* * *

.

Hyde sighs as he leans his back against the front door to his apartment, supporting his torso with one arm. Next to his feet is a broken 750ml wine bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Juice and a scattered bunch of pink tulips. His lip is cut, cheek bone bruised and his nose bloodied.

.

He leans over and grabs a handful of the flowers from the ground with a bloodied hand, moaning as he reaches for them. He then steels himself to stand up, and guides himself up the wall with his spare hand, letting out small groans as he pulls himself to stand.

.

He tosses the flowers on the kitchen counter as he enters and immediately notices the light blinking on the answering machine. He makes his way over to it and presses the button.

.

"You have three new messages," it says in a robotic voice and then plays them aloud, all from Jackie, all featuring gasps of frustration and panic as she realizes it's the machine picking up and not him, followed by a the sound of her roughly hanging up the phone.

.

Hyde rubs his forehead to stop the pounding then grabs a beer from the refrigerator and pops the top off with his thumb sending the metal object clattering to the floor. He stares for a moment at the bottle, contemplating whether or not this is a good idea, but then quickly eschews judgement in favor of a long night of drowning his sorrows. When times are tough, you've got to go with what you know.

.

* * *

.

Jackie sits near motionless at a business dinner with Fernando's colleagues and their wives. She lifts the glass of wine put in front of her and brings it to her lips. She closes her eyes and inhales deeply, letting the scent of the libation permeate every pore and sinus cavity it can enter. She replaces the glass on the table and looks at the people around her, wondering if their lives are as fucked up as her own.

.

Were these women in happy marriages or were they too being blackmailed to stay with their husbands? Did these men like to have sex with rough women on the side?

.

She takes a long look at each of them and suddenly realizes that while most of them look well-healed and refined, there is one man in particular who looks anything but. His clothes are expensive, yes, but not the same conservative cut or style as the other men. This is not a man who grew up with money, she thinks. He's also not Argentinean like the others. Colombian maybe? Or Venezuelan?

.

His wife too, doesn't seem like the other women. For one, her bleached blonde dye job is a few shades too light and a cheap-looking tint of yellow. Her dress is a little too low cut, too tight, material too shiny, and personal style all around too... everything. She wonders who this tacky nouveau riche couple could possibly be and how Fernando came to be eating with them now - especially since he can't even stand to dine with people outside his social class much less people who look like gangsters.

.

Then it hits her. These people don't just look like gangsters, they are gangsters. They're not even drinking wine, which is highly unusual when you're having a business dinner with a wine importer.

.

Paying close attention to her husband, she notices Fernando looks a little less confident than he usually is. He's been letting the gangster do most of the talking, and none of it has been about wine. The more she thinks about it, the more she wonders what the hell these people are selling, because it sure as hell has nothing to do with Fernando's vineyard.

.

Jackie shakes her head and longs for the time when the biggest relationship problem she had was choosing between Kelso and Steven. It seemed so hard at the time, but she can see now how blissfully trivial her life had been up until now. She'd take a million awkward camping trips with her battling exes over the very real possibility that she's current dining with a drug lord and his moll.

.

To distract herself, Jackie starts fingering the strand of emeralds Fernando has given her. She feels her way around, examining every stone, feeling the cool, smooth surface under the pads of her tiny fingers. She comes upon the clasp and admires the filigree workmanship and pave diamonds glittering throughout.

.

Fernando looks over at her and nervously smiles. She returns a smile back that never reaches her eyes. She studies him, wondering why he's so nervous, until his attention is called away by a colleague while hers returns to the necklace and the clasp. Why can't she open this thing? Out of the corner of her eye, she can feel Fernando's gaze on her again, apprehensive, waiting for her to do something, but what?

.

Like a bolt of lightening, it all becomes clear to her - the necklace, the faulty clasp, this is how he's been able to hear every word she's uttered in the past 24 hours. He's hidden a listening device in the clasp of the bauble and jammed it shut so she wouldn't be able to remove it.

.

She quickly drops the necklace from her hands so as not to draw more attention to herself, and begins twisting her wedding ring hard. She turns the circle, over and over again until she can feel it cutting into her finger. Eventually, blood begins to slowly trickle out of her finger from behind her ring and she holds a napkin there to absorb the red fluid. She thinks of Steven, and how he might be bleeding right now too. It hurts a lot, but if he's going to bleed for her then she will too.

.

She catches Fernando staring at her again, him wondering what's holding her attention so carefully. This time, she returns a dazzling smile, her first genuine one in a long time. He happily nods back, both surprised satisfied at the idea that she might be finally coming around. If he only knew the real reason she was grinning - she finally has something she can use to bring that asshole down.

.

**A/N - Please review and let me know if you're still with me!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Feeling a lot of Fernando hate on the comment board. Good! You're supposed to ****hate beautiful, sleazy Fernando, though you may find him a wee bit sympathetic in ****this chapter. No M rated scenes in this segment, though there is a bit of kissy face.**

**.**

**Glad you're all enjoying the ride so far, because I am on it with you!**

**.**

**CHAPTER 19**

.

Donna pulls a small scrap of paper out of her address book and lifts the receiver off the base of the phone. She dials carefully and waits for a ring.

.

After several long rings a man picks up the phone. "Pink Clam," he answers with the malaise of someone who has been doing this too long.

.

"Hi, um, I was wondering if I could speak to Edna Hyde please," Donna ventures uneasily.

.

"Who's calling?" he snaps.

.

"It's Don-...you know what? Just tell her it's the redhead from Point Place who started a bar fight several months ago," she explains.

.

"Heeeey. I remember you guys. Are you the hot pimp or the big redheaded whore?" he asks, begging her to confirm his spark of memory.

.

Donna grits her teeth and sighs. "I'm the big red whore," she says, rolling her eyes while silently cursing Jackie.

.

"Well alright then," he says, making his lascivious thoughts clear in just a few words.

.

A few minutes pass until Edna picks up the phone to speak.

.

"Jackie?" Edna asks hopefully.

.

"No, it's Donna, Eric Forman's wife," she says nervously.

.

"Oh" she responds, slightly disappointed. "I thought maybe..."

.

"This does have to do with Jackie, though," she says, trying to lift her spirits. "We're having a baby shower for her".

.

"Wait," Edna says confused, "I thought you were the one who was pregnant".

.

"We both are," Donna says, "She didn't find out until after we got back".

.

Edna's hand springs to her mouth in an attempt to hold in her emotions.

.

"Are you still there?" she asks, concerned.

.

"I'm going to be a grandma?" Edna muses in disbelief.

.

Donna smiles broadly. "That's right. You're going to have a grandaughter".

.

"A little girl?" she squeals. "Does Steven...?" she can't bear to finish her sentence.

.

"No" Donna responds quickly. "He doesn't know I'm calling, but Jackie asked me to. She really wants you to be there, and he really wants to make her happy, so I'm sure he'll learn to adjust," she says reassuringly. "What do you think?"

.

Edna smiles through her complicated emotions. "Just let me get a pen, honey".

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Fernando enter their apartment in complete silence. Jackie puts her handbag down on the counter and kicks off her heels.

.

"You've been quiet since we left the restaurant," Fernando notes with a hint of concern.

.

"What is there to say?" Jackie sighs as she sits down on one of the uncomfortable white cubes in the living room.

.

Fernando approaches his wife from behind and starts to rub her shoulders. The touch of his hands initially makes her bristle.

.

"I'm just trying to make you feel good," he says soothingly, "You seem tense".

.

"I can't imagine why" she says, forcing herself to relax into the massage, as he continues to rub her muscles.

.

He leans forward and kisses Jackie just behind the ear. "I wish we could get back to the way we used to be. You know, before..."

.

"Ouch," Jackie says as she holds the emerald necklace away from her elegant neck. "You keep catching me with this. Would you mind taking it off for me if you're going to keep going?" she asks sweetly, testing her theory.

.

Fernando removes his hands from her neck and kneels down in front of her on the floor.

.

"I have a better idea," he says, as he lifts one of her tiny feet to his lips for a kiss.

.

Starting at the bottom, he runs his hands lovingly from her feet all the way up to her inner thighs, causing Jackie to gasp at his brazen move. He then quickly glides them back down to her feet again and begins to rub them both at the same time with his strong, beautifully sculpted hands.

.

"I still know how to make you feel good," he says with a twinkle in his eye. "I meant it when I said you were an exception for me. You may not be what I normally gravitate towards, but there's something about you, Jackie. You're not like anyone else I've ever met," he says with sincerity as he kisses her feet again. "You looked so beautiful tonight..."

.

As Jackie tries to appear attentive while listening to her errant husband profess his affection for her, her mind drifts elsewhere. She's thinking about Steven and where he might be right now and silently sends a quick prayer northward in his favor.

.

"Jackie!" Fernando sharply cries, "are you even listening to anything I'm saying?"

.

She softens her expression and demurely casts her eyes in his direction. "Every word, baby".

.

With hope in his eyes, Fernando leans forward on his knees and takes Jackie's face in his hands. "Mi amor, te amo," he whispers before gently kissing her on each cheek and ending with a sensual assault on her mouth.

.

Jackie accepts this kiss graciously and reminds herself that you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. She slips her arms around Fernando's masculine neck and kisses him on the cheek. "I want us to have an honest relationship," she says, letting the words slowly drip off her tongue like molasses.

.

"I want that too," Fernando replies, unable to believe his good fortune. He never expected a simple foot rub to elicit such a response. He takes her hand in his and kisses the inside of her wrist erotically. He then notices the bloody ring finger and her absence of marital jewelry.

.

"What happened here?" he asks, genuinely concerned.

.

"Pregnancy. They got too tight so I had to take them off. They didn't come off willingly," she lies to his face.

.

He traces the red scab all the way around her ring finger and then brings the injury to his lips. "I'll have the store resize them for you in the morning," he offers as he kisses her cut.

.

Jackie absorbs his consideration for her with measure. She finds herself seriously contemplating the real possibility that Fernando might have a twin brother or a multiple personality disorder, because she's unable to comprehend how one man can alternatively be so kind and so cruel in the same day.

.

Still confounded, she decides to jump on the opportunity to speak to the good twin. "I know that you have your, erm, dalliances, and I completely respect that," she continues, barely able to keep a straight face through her declaration. "And as you know, I have my side interests as well."

.

"I can't say I'm thrilled about it, but I can't have you looking miserable when we go out with my friends. I know I leave you alone a lot, so I'm trying to be understanding," he rationalizes.

.

Jackie's eyes widen. "Oh, and you are. You really understand what I need, cariño," she purrs. "So I know you'll understand that I have to see him tonight," she says, looking up at him with bright eyes, one green and one blue. "I always want to be honest with you," she quickly adds as she places her hand on her heart for emphasis.

.

Fernando's expression drops along with his mood. "I can't say I'm not disappointed. I thought you'd stay here with me tonight," he caresses her cheek with the back of his hand.

.

"I'm not going over there for, you know, the normal reasons. I just want to check on him," she says.

.

Fernando suddenly remembers why she's so keen to check on her lover and smirks. He had forgotten all about calling in the job, but he can see now that she's been doing nothing but thinking about it all night, letting the absence of information torture her every moment.

.

"Aha. Sure, why not?" he concedes, figuring this to be as good a time as any to show her what he's capable of. Maybe this is just the push she needs to stop fighting the inevitable, he thinks tactically.

.

Jackie's relief is overwhelming and way more obvious than she'd like it to appear, but she can't help herself. She smiles at her husband and strokes the side of his face lovingly. "I'll be back before morning. I have to go to work tomorrow".

.

"Stay the night!" he says magnanimously with the flip of his hand as he stands up. "I'll have the driver take you there and wait outside until morning".

.

Jackie is truly shocked by Fernando's offer and wonders why he's giving in so easily. In her short experience with him, she's noticed he operates like an emotional Bobby Fisher. He never seems to make an action without another in play and he's usually at least two moves ahead. She'd take the time to figure out today's theoretical novelty if she weren't in such a rush to get to Steven. Jackie reminds herself to hurry up and leave before he changes his mind, aware of the irony that it was desperation and a lack of questioning that got her into this mess in the first place.

.

"Thank you," she says with a catch in her voice as she stands and places a small kiss on Fernando's lips, then heads into the bedroom to collect a change of clothes.

.

* * *

.

Several empty beer bottles litter the floor next to the couch as Hyde tries in vain to get his nose to stop bleeding. He holds a washcloth to his face, but every time he takes it down the bleeding resumes. Out of patience, Hyde gives up and tosses the soaked rag to the floor, letting the blood trickle out of his left nostril at its whim.

.

The phone rings and Hyde leans over to the side table and pushes the button on the speaker phone to answer.

.

"Doll?" he answers, hoping for Jackie to be on the other end of the call.

.

"You haven't phoned home all week and we've been worried about our baby boy," Kitty complains, laying the guilt on thick.

.

"Sorry mom. It's been a hell of a week," he says wiping his bloody nose off on his sleeve.

.

"Steven..."

.

"Heck. It's been a heck of a week," he says, cleaning up his language for her.

.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asks, concerned over his recent health issues.

.

"You know, the usual," he says, now using his sleeve to wipe the blood dripping into his eye from the cut above his brow.

.

"You're not feeling weak?" she wonders.

.

"Weaker than I used to be," he says disappointingly, "but I can still hold my own".

.

"Are you eating?" she prods, wanting more details.

.

"I can honestly say I am eating well," he grins, pleased he can tell her the truth about something.

.

"Oh you have no idea how happy that makes me dear," she laughs.

.

"So you'll stop worrying about me now?" he asks.

.

"Oh honey, Red and I will never stop worrying about our babies," she says lovingly, "but yes, for the rest of today I won't be worried anymore. Tomorrow's another story though, so you'd better freakin' call me," Kitty laughs manically.

.

Hyde smiles and thinks himself lucky he to have a mom who genuinely cares about him, a woman who chose to love him when his own mother didn't. He's never taken Kitty's feelings about him for granted, and wonders why it's taken him so long to give the same courtesy to Jackie. Why did he think he was good enough to be loved by a mother but not a woman? They're both dealing with the same guy, right? He's starting to think that the old adage is true about getting clarity from being knocked upside the head. Maybe Red was right to threaten to stick his foot up everybody's asses. Maybe they all would've been better off for it?

.

"Thanks for checking on me," he says sweetly.

.

"You don't have to thank me, I'm your mom," she smiles. "Oh, speaking of moms, are you coming home for Jackie's shower?" she asks.

.

"Shower?" he says, sounding confused.

.

"Her baby shower, silly!" Kitty laughs abrasively.

.

"Oh that. I'll go to anything she wants me to go to. Whatever makes her happy," he answers.

.

"Steven, I'm so proud of you when I hear you talk like that. My baby is finally becoming a man," she cries.

.

"Alright that'll be enough of that," he says gruffly. "Speaking of showers, I have one waiting for me mom, so I have to go," he fibs.

.

"Okay" she says sadly, "If you speak to Eric tell him he needs to call home. I love you," she says.

.

"You too," Hyde says, as close to the actual phrase as he can muster comfortably. "Bye mom" he says as he turns off the speaker.

.

Hyde looks at all of the empties on the floor and rubs his forehead. "Fuck". It doesn't take nearly as much to put him under as it used to. And to think, he used to make fun of Forman for being such a cheap date.

.

There's an urgent knock at the front door. Too exhausted and tipsy to stand, Hyde tries to open the door telekenetically.

.

The door handle rattles and clicks open. Hyde's just drunk enough to be fooled into thinking that his mind control powers have actually worked.

.

The door swings open and an angel in white appears before him. Not a real angel, but his angel, which is a million times better.

.

"Oh my God!" Jackie cries as she lays eyes on Hyde sprawled across the couch like roadkill.

.

She drops her overnight bag and runs to her lover to check his injuries.

.

He attempts to sit up, but his bruised ribs keep him splayed out helplessly.

.

Jackie kneels on the floor in front of him in tears, running her hands just above his injuries, afraid to touch them.

.

"It looks worse than it feels, doll," Hyde says while trying to smile to dull her frantic worry.

.

Jackie grabs the rag off of the floor and wipes the blood running out of his nose. "Oh Steven," she says sadly, brows knit in a deep furrow that runs just between her eyes.

.

"Stay there!" she commands as she makes her way to the bathroom and turns on the bathtub tap.

.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," he mutters to himself while she's gone.

.

Jackie walks back over to the couch and notices the empties for the first time. She gives Hyde a look of disapproval mixed with pity.

.

"Don't look at me like that," he grumbles.

.

She bends over and picks the bottles up off the floor. He grabs her arm and looks at her with wide eyes. "Don't" he pleads, meaning something entirely different than what she's doing, but she understands. Don't feel sorry for me. Don't be worried. Don't be disappointed in me because I'm drunk. His mind could spin thousands of these and they'd all be true.

.

She pulls her arm away and brings the bottles to the kitchen, tossing them all into the garbage in one lot.

.

She combs the cabinets for some ibuprofen, finally finding a bottle hidden in the back of the 'everything drawer'. She fills a glass of water and taps two pills into her delicate hand.

.

Hyde watches her flit around the kitchen with amusement. He knows he shouldn't be enjoying this, but Jackie always looks extra hot when she pissed off. When they were kids, he'd purposely say or not say things he knew would bother her just to provoke a reaction. He's pretty sure she was clued into his ulterior motives, since she often set the ball up on the tee for him to strike hard. She liked to give as good as she got though, and she knew how to give it better than anybody.

.

Jackie brings the pills and water over to Hyde and motions for him to open his mouth. He complies and she places them on his tongue, then holds the water glass to his mouth for him to wash them down.

.

"Don't choke," she says dryly as she places the glass on the side table and glares down at him, both hands on hips. "Stop enjoying this," she says tersely.

.

He smiles coyly up at her and breaks through her stony facade, forcing a faint smile. "You think you're so cute," she snaps, narrowing her eyes.

.

He grabs her arms and gently forces her down onto his lap. "No, I think you're cute".

.

Jackie runs her fingers gently down the sides of his bloodied face and pouts sadly.

.

"It doesn't hurt," he lies.

.

She tilts in and gingerly kisses his boo-boos, like a doting mother. As she leans over him, neck exposed, he's intoxicated by her closeness and smell. If it's possible to be addicted to a person, then Jackie is his crack rock. His smokin' hot crack rock.

.

"You're going to ruin your dress," he says, noticing some of his blood on her cheek.

.

"I don't care about that," she says seriously, "I was so worried about you". With that, she leans in and kisses his lips delicately but passionately.

.

Hyde pulls her deeper into the kiss, the pressure of her body on his bruised ribs rips through his wounds like fire, but it's so worth it. The deeper she falls into him, the more intense the pleasure. In turn, this also escalates the pain, but the trade off works for him, because the pleasure is so sweet and he's a master at ignoring pain, having done it his whole life.

.

He pushes her skirt up and pulls one leg over the other side of his lap to make her straddle him. As her kisses become more heated, her dress ends up more covered in blood. He grabs her by the ass and drags her towards his growing bulge, which causes her to release a small moan. As he slams her body against his, he winces and writhes in pain, startling her to her feet.

.

She stands over him frightened, his blood on her face and dress, and watches horrified as her lover breathes through his agony.

.

"I think we should call Kitty," she says with concern.

.

"I already spoke to her," he says.

.

"And?" she prods, impatiently.

.

"And she says she's not too worried about me for the rest of the day," he says, not entirely lying but not at all telling her the truth either.

.

Jackie looks down at him skeptically. "You're so full of it," she smirks. "Whatever. Let's just get you into that bath before the tub overflows," she says as she lifts him off the couch and helps him down the hall towards the tub.

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Hyde are facing each other while sitting in the bathtub. Jackie is on her knees, cleaning Hyde's wounds with a washcloth and a bottle of witch hazel. Every time she cleans a cut, Hyde winces dramatically.

.

The song "Angel" by Aerosmith plays slowly in the background.

**.**

_**I'm alone  
Yeah, I don't know if I can face the night  
I'm in tears and the cryin' that I do is for you**_

.

"Ow!" he whines as she cleans the cut above his eye.

.

"You are a big freaking baby, you know that?" she laughs as he puffs his bottom lip out and pouts. "Aww, poor baby," she leans and kisses his pouty lip. "Better?"

.

He nods begrudgingly as she strokes his hair and kisses him again.

.**  
**_**I want your love - Let's breaks the walls between us****  
****Don't make it tough - I'll put away my pride****  
****Enough's enough I've suffered and I've seen the light**_  
.

"Want me to make it all better?" she purrs in his ear.

.

Hyde grins lasciviously and nods.

.

"Okay," she says as she wipes his nose with witch hazel, stinging the hell out of his face.

.

"Jesus Jackie!" he cries and splashes her.

.

"What? You said you wanted me to make it all better!" she teases as he splashes her with water again. "Hey!" she screams and splashes him back. "Why are all the most macho guys such big babies?"

.  
_**Baby****  
****You're my angel****  
****Come and save me tonight****  
****You're my angel****  
****Come and make it all right**_  
.

"You think I'm most macho?" he smirks and leans in to kiss her.

.

"Wait!" she puts her hand up. "First, tell me about the fight you had," she asks.

.

"I'm not sure it counts as a fight if one guy is holding your arms behind your back while the other one beats the crap out of you with a sack of oranges," he cracks.

.

Jackie's face falls and she buries it in her hands.

.  
_**Don't know what I'm gonna do****  
****About this feeling inside****  
****Yes it's true - Loneliness took me for a ride****  
****Without your love - I'm nothing but a beggar****  
****Without your love - a dog without a bone****  
****What can I do? I'm sleeping in this bed alone**_  
.

"Come on baby," he says, instantly feeling bad about telling her the truth. He forgot himself for a moment. He had no intention of telling her how things really went down, because he knew it would freak her out.

.

Hyde takes her into his arms and kisses her on the top of the head. "I'm fine. Look at me," he says as he brings her face to meet him by her chin. "I'm fine. I'm okay."

.  
_**Baby****  
****You're my angel****  
****Come and save me tonight****  
****You're my angel****  
****Come and make it alright****  
****Come and save me tonight**_  
.

"This is totally my fault," she says glumly. "Why couldn't I just wait for you?" she asks him with newly wet eyes. "I didn't want anybody else. Why didn't I just wait?"

.

"You were scared and I told you not to wait," he says, smoothing the hair out of her eyes.

.

"Yeah, but I never listen to what you tell me to do. Why'd I have to start?" she sighs.

.  
_**You're the reason I live****  
****You're the reason I die****  
****You're the reason I give****  
****When I break down and cry****  
****Don't need no reason why**_

_**Baby, Baby, Baby**_  
.

"I'll let you make it up to me by following orders when we get to bed," he grins.

.

"Can you be serious?" she demands.

.

"I am serious. Listen babe, I think I have an idea for how we can get you out of this thing," he says.

.

Jackie's eyes widen and she leaps forward and covers his mouth with her hand. He looks at her like she's crazy.

.

She puts her finger to her lips to motion for him to be quiet, and he nods, understanding what she's asking him to do.

.

"We can get out of this tub any time we want," she bullshits to throw off the people listening to her speak.

.

Jackie stands up, guides herself out of the tub and walks over to the vanity mirror.

.  
_**You're my angel****  
****Come and save me tonight****  
****You're my angel****  
****Come and make it alright****  
****You're my angel****  
****Come and save me tonight**_**  
**.

Hyde watches Jackie intently, completely clueless as to what she's up to.

.

She stretches to reach the foggy glass in front of her but has trouble. She runs to the other side of the bathroom, grabs her heels and slips her wet feet into them.

.

Hyde whistles a catcall and gives her two thumbs up for bending over naked in heels.

.

She shoots him a stern look and runs back over to the mirror, which is now within easy reach for her.

.

_**You're my angel**_

_**Come and take me alright  
Come and save me tonight**_

**.**

Jackie starts drawing something in the condensation with her index finger, but Hyde can't see what she's doing from the angle where he's sitting. When she finally steps aside to reveal what she's written it says:

.

"**I'm being bugged. They can hear EVERYTHING!"**

.

Hyde's eyes widen as he looks around. Jackie picks the stand of emeralds off her neck and twirls it around her finger. Hyde follows her fingers to the necklace and then meets her gaze.

.

"How's your Pig Latin, Puddin' Pop?" she says cheerfully as he shakes his head in disgust.

.

**A/N- Thanks for your continued support! Please review and let me know if you liked this chapter.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks so much for the comments you've left so far. They really ****are the thing that keeps me moving on this. I know I told you to ****buckle up before, but things are about to get VERY hairy for ****some of these characters. Hang in there, though. Zen love will ****prevail!**

** .**

**CHAPTER 20**

.

Jackie Burkhart streaks across Hyde's apartment naked, leaving a trail of small puddles in her wake. She opens the 'everything drawer' in his kitchen and pulls out a large notepad and a black sharpie marker.

.

Without bothering to shut the drawer she runs back into the bathroom, closes the door, and jumps straight back into the warm tub with pen and paper still in hand. "Ohmygod!" she mouths as her teeth start chattering.

.

She suddenly remembers she needs to change the tape in the ghetto blaster for sound cover and leaps up again. She pops a When in Rome tape into the machine, pushes play and the song "The Promise" starts flowing out of the speakers.

.

Hyde groans in response to her choice of music and makes a gagging noise as Jackie practically dares him to change the tape with her glare.

.

_**If you need a friend,  
don't look to a stranger,  
You know in the end,  
I'll always be there.**_

_**And when you're in doubt,**_  
_**and when you're in danger,**_  
_**Take a look all around,**_  
_**and I'll be there.**_

_._

Hyde swims over to her, takes the items from her hands and puts them to the side. He wraps her in his strong embrace to bring her body temperature back up to normal again and and rubs his hands rapidly up and down her arms smoothing the goosebumps currently camped out on every part of her flesh.

.

"But what about-?" she asks, gesturing to the pad and pen.

.

"It can wait until you warm up," he says.

.

"But Steven!" she shivers while reaching around him for the pen.

.

"No" he says definitively as he blocks her from passing.

.

"Come on!" she begs.

.

"No!" he cuts her off.

.

She gives him a serious look then pouts her bottom lip out and gives him her saddest puppy dog eyes.

.

He looks at her for a minute then breaks. "Fine" he spits out almost like a curse, "but only if you do it from here," he says, tapping his chest.

.

_**I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say. (I promise)  
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be. (I promise)  
But if you wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me,  
I promise, I promise you. I will.**_

_._

She practically leaps over him to grab the pad and paper, settles back into his embrace again, then sets the pad down on the edge of the tub and furiously starts scribbling something.

.

_**When your day is through,  
and so is your temper,  
You know what to do,  
I'm gonna always be there.**_

_**Sometimes if I shout,**_  
_**it's not what's intended.**_  
_**These words just come out,**_  
_**with no gripe to bear.**_

.

He kisses the back of her head and smiles to himself, amused by her ever-present enthusiasm. Part of him wonders if he's in for twice the trouble when Jackie Jr. makes her grand entrance into the world, and the rest of him already knows he's pretty much toast.

.

Hyde slips both hands underwater and rests his cheek on the back of her shoulder, releasing small blasts of hot air on to the back of her neck as he breathes out.

.

Jackie's eyes nearly bulge out of her head, then narrow angrily in his direction. "You're supposed to be getting me warm, not getting me hot," she snaps as she pulls one of his hands back above the waterline.

.

"Yeah, I'm not really hearing the difference," he grins, submerging his hand again to complete his task.

.**  
**Unable to take the underwater torture any more, Jackie foists her notepad in his face and points to what she's written down.

.

_"Fernando says he will have my mom killed in Mexico if I leave him or tell anybody about what he's threatening to do."_

**.**

Hyde's eyes dart from the note to Jackie's pained face. "What the fuck?" Hyde says in disbelief. "You have to be fucking kidding me!" he screams.

.

Jackie throws the pad and pen to the ground and places her hands over Hyde's mouth, casting her eyes towards the clasp on the emerald strand draped across her neck.

.

Though incensed, Hyde relents and Jackie removes her hands, sliding them to his shoulders for quick access in case she has to silence his voice once again.

.

_**I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say. (I promise)****  
****I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be. (I promise)****  
****But if you wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me,****  
****I promise, I promise you...**_

.

"So...what do you think think I should do about dinner? Should I save my HAM from earlier and risk getting violently ill or just toss it?" she asks, referring in code to her mother Pam.

.

Hyde looks confused for a moment, but quickly gets it. "Well, you know my answer is going to be toss it. I've always hated ham," he says, completely seriously.

.

She lets out an amused snort. "Yeah, it really seemed like you hated ham that time you spent hours talking about it with Red in his car. You remember, right? It was right after you walked into the 'kitchen' and saw two giant ham hocks just sitting right there on the counter, staring you in the face?" she teases, gesturing to her breasts.

.

"I was a dumb kid" he admits, "and I wasn't the only one who wanted to eat that ham" he insists, his mouth forming an indignant smirk.

.

Jackie blanches in disgust. "You wanted to eat the ham? You shouldn't have been hungry for ham at all! You should've been eating dinner at home instead of hanging out in the 'kitchen' that night waiting for scraps of meat like a dirty dog." she says bitterly, turning from him.

.

Hyde sighs deeply and runs his hand up and down Jackie's spine very slowly, trying both to soothe her and calm himself by rhythmically gliding over her wet skin.

.

"Jackie" Hyde's face softens. "I never cared about ham. I swear. Just consider me fucking kosher, that's how much I don't give a shit about ham," he says sincerely.

.

"I don't believe you," she says quietly, under her breath.

.

"Why would I gave ham a second thought when I have fillet mignon in my oven?" he whispers in her ear, slowly stroking her arm at the same time.

.

Jackie shakes her head. "Your charm assault isn't going to work this time," she says as she rises out of the bath and grabs herself a towel. "It's getting chilly in here, I'm just gonna go dry off." With that, she exits the bathroom.

.

"Jackie! Don't leave!" he calls after her with futility as he runs both hands through his wet hair.

.

_**I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say. (I promise)****  
****I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be. (I promise)****  
****And if I had to walk the world, that make you fall for me,****  
****I promise you, I promise you. I will. I will. I will.**_

.

* * *

.

Hyde pulls himself up to stand from the tub and gingerly steps out of it, careful not to go too quickly. The warm water and ibuprofen have given him some comfort, but he's been down this road way too many times to be lulled into a false sense of bravado. The drugs are going to wear off in three hours and soon he's going to feel like he's been hit by a mack truck.

.

He pulls a towel from the rack and securely tucks it around his waist, then ambles into his bedroom carefully. There, he finds Jackie wearing his robe curled up into fetal position on the side of his bed. From experience, he knows this pose means she's currently nursing a heady cocktail of anger and despair.

.

The thing is, he really had checked her mom out that day she flashed her breasts at him, and many days before and after that. He'd even had a dirty dream about her once or twice when he was with Jackie and tons of them during his days as a young punk who used to sneak into the Burkhart mansion to steal things undetected.

.

Jackie always turned a blind eye to all things related to her mom in order to keep her then-fragile ego afloat. Pam used to cut her daughter down and try to make her feel insignificant almost like it was her job- not that she's ever held one of those. Hyde knew that he was the one thing Jackie had in her life that was truly hers alone, the thing that made her feel good about herself where nothing else could. To mislead her into thinking that he'd ever prefer her bitch mom over her must have cut her deeper than he thought. He only meant to get the upper hand in the relationship. There was no way he could compete with what other guys could give her, so he figured the only way to keep her was to keep her on the defensive. The more he felt for Jackie, the more he tried to put her on edge.

.

It was a shitty thing to do to her at the time, sick even, but he was a selfish teenager, just a cyclone of swirling hormones that takes everything down in its wake. Pam was no more than a cow or a stop sign on the side of the road that gets sucked into the vortex.

.

He may have been a destructive tornado back then, but Jackie was always a miracle to him. She was like that one little farm house in the middle of a barren, wasted field that always managed to stay untouched while everything around it was demolished by the storm. She may look small and weak, but he knew she was stronger than he was, and for that alone she deserved to be punished. He figured if she stayed that strong, she'd realize one day that she didn't need him anymore and walk away for good. He kicks himself daily now for trying to ruin the one thing about his girl that he loves most of all.

.

Wearing a low slung towel around his hips, Hyde crawls into bed next to Jackie and slips his arms around her waist, gently pulling her towards him. They lie there spooning for a few minutes wordlessly, while he kisses the back of her head tenderly.

.

"I'm sorry I upset you. I'm sorry about everything," he whispers in her ear. "I know I used to be a shitty boyfriend."

.

She takes a deep breath. "It's just...that particular topic brings up a lot of bad memories for me."

.

"I know. I've given you plenty of reasons to avoid talking about a lot of topics" he comments sadly.

.

"I think we were just so excited to find each other again and start over that we forgot to talk about why we broke up in the first place. And then just as things were getting good, of course you had to go and 'pull a Hyde' and leave me again." she sighs.

.

"You have to know how much I love you" he says, hoping to transmit the full force of his affection for her through his embrace. "There's nothing more important to me than you."

.

She nods her head. "I know, but you loved me in high school too though, didn't you?" she questions.

.

"Yeah, but it was a different kind of love then. I was different. We were just dumb teenagers just and I was a feral beast" he insists.

.

"I know it's different, but it was also a lot less complicated. There was a lot less for me to forgive you for," she muses.

.

"Hate to break it to you doll," he laughs,"but you were never uncomplicated and you always had a lot to forgive me for- even then."

.

"Yeah, but I didn't know as much then. After Sam, all of those unpleasant memories just sort of got magnified out of proportion because I hated you so much," she says. "Even now...I feel like I'm constantly rationalizing my feelings for you. Like-if I took a step back and really looked at my life objectively, I'd honestly be ashamed of myself for going back to you. It's so pathetic and yet I can't seem to stop myself. I'm like the fat girl at a buffet or a drug addict," she whispers into the pillow, just loud enough for him to hear.

.

Hyde's stomach nearly bottoms out while hearing this. "You're ashamed of yourself for being with me?" he asks, his thoughts spinning wildly. "Is it really so hard to just be together, in the moment, and enjoy life? Why does everything have to be such a big freaking ordeal?" he complains.

.

"Not for you, obviously, but then your girlfriend never cheated on or abandoned you," she sniffs.

.

"How much longer and I going to have to pay for these things?" he releases her from his grip and turns the other way on the bed, back to her. "Lemme know and I'll write you a God damned check already so we can move on," he grumbles. He lays there facing the wall, turning anxiety into quiet rage as only he knows how.

.

Realizing she went too far, Jackie flips over on her other side so she is facing Hyde's back. She slips her hands on to his hips and squeezes. "I know I'm supposed to be past it, and I want to be, but between my marriage and our somewhat 'colorful' past, it just feels sometimes like the universe doesn't want me to be happy, you know?"

.

Hyde turns back around and touches his forehead to hers. He cups her face gently in both hands and looks deeply into her eyes. "Yeah? Well, the universe can go fuck itself," he says softly as he peppers her face with tiny kisses. "I'm going to make you happy, dollface. I don't care what it takes. I promise."

.

She places her hands over his and smiles.

.

Hyde feels something rough on her ring finger and pulls her hand to him. "What happened here?" he asks with concern, looking at her scabbed over finger.

.

"Oh," she looks down, embarrassed. "I knew you hated me wearing the rings, so..."

.

Hyde looks pissed off "So you injured yourself?"

.

"I had to come up with a reason I couldn't wear them for Fernando. I thought this would make you happy," she says with disappointment.

.

"It doesn't" he snaps, bringing her finger up to his lips for a kiss.

.

Jackie sighs. "Things used to be so much easier."

.

"I wasn't easier," he retorts.

.

She smiles sadly. "No. I guess you weren't. You always had a knack for stepping in it."

.

"Come on. You can't tell me you've never done anything to me that you're ashamed of?" he challenges her.

.

A secret memory washes over Jackie and she closes her eyes tightly in an attempt to block it out. Her breathing picks up its pace. "I'm not perfect. Let's just drop it, okay?" she demands coldly as she steadies her gaze. "We have bigger fish to fry right now," she says, referring to her Fernando problem.

.

Something about Jackie's response makes Hyde feel uneasy. Though he just asked her that to prove a point, he didn't actually think there was anything Jackie had to feel guilty for that he didn't already know about. The idea that there's some secret he's unaware of, a minefield lurking in the strata of their relationship, feels like a punch to the gut. It's been his experience that a secret is no better than black mold festering in the back of a shower, lying in wait to spread it's toxic sporins everywhere and infect everyone in the vicinity.

.

* * *

.

Donna is reclining on her bed eating an apple and engrossed in a Ms. Magazine article about gender politics in the workforce, while Eric positions several GI Joe actions figures in different poses all over and around her belly.

.

"You get your men into position on the Eastern perimeter and I'll have mine advance from the West," Eric says in a Southern general accent. "Sir yes sir!" he responds in a different Southern voice, while moving the men around again. "They may take our lives, but they will never take Malvern hill!" he shouts again in a third, strangely-accented voice.

.

Donna looks down at her husband and stifles a laugh. "Eric, I had no idea there were Irishmen fighting in the South during the civil war."

.

"Excuse me, Donna, have you ever heard of a little something called poetic license?" he asks, trying to divert her attention from his lack of mimicking skills.

.

Donna is bemused. "Sorry, Eric, I just thought..."

.

"Poetic license Donna! There are only so many Southern dialects, woman," he smirks at his wife before blowing a huge raspberry on the top of her tummy. "How dare you question a history teacher!"

.

She puts the magazine down and focuses on him. "You teach English."

.

"Symantecs," he brushes her off.

.

"Okay 'history teacher', since you're so great at research, maybe you'd like to take over a little job for me?" she asks while stroking the top of his head.

.

"Why does this feel like you're laying a trap?" he eyes her suspiciously.

.

Donna takes a second to gear up, then quickly blurts out "It has to do with Jackie's baby shower."

.

"BOO!" Eric jeers, barely giving a chance for the sentence to fully escape her lips.

.

"Okay. That's fine," she throws her hands up in the air. "I'm only carrying your baby...your heavy, karate-kicking, Mr. Miyagi baby...which, as you're aware, I've done already once before..."

.

He finally breaks. "Gah! Fine! Why do you always have to play the stupid baby card?" he pouts.

.

She gives him a killer's stare. "Our baby is stupid?"

.

"Did I say that?" he panics, realizing he may be digging himself deeper. "I love our babies. And I'd love to help with Rosemary's Baby shower. Yay!" he weakly shouts while sadly waving a pair of imaginary pom-poms. "What do you need me to do?" he asks dejectedly.

.

She grins, satisfied with the success of her manipulation. "I need you to try to locate Pamela Burkhart," she says, "and then force her to come to her daughter's party."

.

Eric relaxes and gets a stupid grin on his face. "Oh. This is about she-devil's hot mom? Well why didn't you say so in the first place? I would LOVE..."

.

Donna smacks him upside the head with her Ms. Magazine twice, then takes her arm and knocks all of the GI Joes on to the floor, then immediately goes back to reading the article as if nothing occurred.

.

Eric is shocked and humbled by her outburst. "Hey beautiful" he says perkily, "I'm just going to put these Joes back in Luke's room and then, you know, rub your feet or fetch you ice cream or something?"

.

Without looking up from her reading "I want rocky road."

.

* * *

.

Fez and Angie are at a hot club, tearing up the dance floor. They are both wasted and flirting with each other. As the song switches to "Peek-a-boo" by Siouxsie and the Banshees, Fez signals for the two of them to take a break.

.

"Aww Fezzy, but I love this song," she pouts.

.

_**Creeping up the backstairs  
Slinking into dark stalls  
Shapeless and slumped in bathchairs  
Furtive eyes peep out of holes**_

.

Fez reaches up and grabs Angie's chin playfully "If I could, you know I would, my goddess-but Fez can only drink so many Slippery Nipples before needing the john."

.

"It's okay. I'm thirsty anyway," she says. "I'll just wait for you at the bar."

.

"Allow me," he pulls a $10 bill out of his wallet and hands it to her.

.

"You don't have to do that," she giggles shyly at him.

.

"No, I do. I may be a while. The bathrooms here are co-ed and it's Jaeger Wednesday," he grumbles. "See you in 20 minutes if I'm lucky," he says, kissing her cheek before leaving.

_._  
_**She has many guises****  
****She'll do what you want her to****  
****Playing dead and sweet submission**_

_**Cracks the whip deadpan on cue  
Peek-a-boo Peek-a-boo  
Peek-a-boo Peek-a-boo**_

.

Angie sidles up to the bar and leans in, trying to get the bartender's attention, with no luck. "Excuse me," she waves, trying again in vain to get his attention.

.

Suddenly, a well-dressed man sitting next to her places his hand on her arm. "Allow me," he says as he casually waves a $100 bill at the bartender, who responds immediately.

.

"What can I get you?" he asks the man.

.

"She'll have an Alabama Slammer," he says smoothly, not bothering to consult with Angie. "I'll have another one of these," he gestures to his current drink.

.

"Actually, I was hoping to get a Fuzzy Navel," she timidly corrects him.

.

"Trust me. I'm usually very good at figuring out what women like," he smiles as he turns to her.

.

_**Reeking like a pigsty****  
****Peeling back and gagging free****  
****Flaccid ego in your hand****  
****Chokes on dry tears, can you understand?**_  
.

"Thank you," Angie smiles gratefully until she sees the man's face.

.

"Anything for you, zamba," he says as he grins lasciviously at her.

.

_**She's jeering at the shadows**_

_**Sneering behind a smile  
Lunge and thrust to pout and pucker**_

_**Into the face of the beguiled**_

.

"Um, this may sound weird, but you look exactly like my friend's..." she doesn't know how to finish this sentence gracefully.

.

"I am. I remember you. You're Angie, yes?" he asks.

.

"I am. And you're Fernando," she responds uneasily.

.  
_**Peek-a-boo Peek-a-boo****  
****Golly jeepers****  
****Where'd you get those weepers?****  
****Peepshow creature****  
****Where did you get those eyes?**_

.

"Would you excuse me for one minute? I just need to see where my friend ran off to. I'll be right back," she smiles weakly before running off.

.

"And I'll be right here waiting for you when you do," he says, winking at her.

.

Angie runs quickly to the bathroom area but can't seem to find Fez anywhere. Assuming he's on a line inside one of the bathrooms, she figures he'll be back soon enough to witness what she's just encountered. She knows he hates missing the good stuff, and she's pretty positive Fez is going to freak the hell out when he sees Fernando at the bar. There's no love lost between those two.

.

She scans the room for a payphone, but none are around. She's desperate to call her brother to break the news that Jackie's beautiful, successful, charming husband is currently at a dance club trying to pick up other chicks. The fraud!

.

_**Strobe lights pump and flicker****  
****Dry lips crack out for more****  
****`Come bite on this rag doll, baby!****  
****That's right, now hit the floor'****  
****They're sneaking out the back door****  
****She gets up from all fours****  
****Rhinestone fools and silver dollars****  
****Curdle into bitter tears**_  
.

Fernando receives the drinks and promptly slips something powdery into Angie's, then lights up a Davidoff cigarette.

.

_**Peek-a-boo Peek-a-boo  
Golly jeepers  
Where'd you get those weepers?  
Peepshow creepshow  
Where did you get those eyes?**_

.

From around the corner, Angie saunters back and confidently plants herself next to Fernando at the bar. If she's going to bust this chump, she's going to really fucking bust him. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to put a family back together. Her niece deserves it.

.

"Thanks for saving my seat," she coyly smiles as he hands her the drink.

.

"Salud!" Fernando nods as he clinks his glass against hers.

.

"Right back atcha," she coos then puckers her lips and downs half her drink in one go. "You were right Fernando. I really do like the Alabama Slammer."

.

He nods towards her in acknowledgment. "I'm always right," he says coolly as he takes another drag off his cigarette and waits for the drugs to kick in.

.

_**Golly jeepers  
Where'd you get those peepers?  
Peepshow creature  
Where did you get those eyes?**_

_._

Angie's eyes start to glaze over a bit and she grabs Fernando's shoulder to steady herself.

.

"This is really strong. What's in it?" she asks as she helplessly starts to lose control of her faculties.

.

"A little of this and that," he says evasively.

.

She tries to stand and falls back into her chair. "I don't feel so good," she whimpers to herself.

.

"Let's go outside and get you some air," Fernando suggests as he grabs Angie around the waist and heads towards the exit.

.**  
_Golly jeepers_  
_Where'd you get those weepers?_  
_Peepshow creature_  
_Where did you get those eyes?_**

**.**

**A/N- What do you think? Ready to shoot Fernando with a crossbow yet? Please let me know ****what you think of this chapter in the reviews section! Thanks for reading!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay. Really hope this chapter works because it was HARD to write. ****I've been scared to write Fez, because his character is so weird, ****inconsistent and unrealistic that I have trouble getting into his head, ****but I gave it a shot, so let me know if it's Fez-tastic!**

**.**

**Oh yeah, big bombshell revealed in this chapter, so watch out!**

**.**

**Thanks again for all the reviews. I really look forward to them and take ****them all very much to heart. Please keep it up! Okay, here we go...**

**.**

**Chapter is rated T for actual content but there are some disturbing topics at the end of the chapter.**

**.**

**CHAPTER 21**

.

Jackie and Hyde lay facing one another on their sides with their foreheads pressed together. Just as they're about to kiss, Jackie erupts in hysterical laughter.

.

A whisper or a smile appears across Hyde's lips as he tries to figure out what's so funny.

.

She opens her robe a bit then takes both of his hands and places them on her stomach. "I think I feel her much more because I'm so skinny. Donna's a month ahead of me and is only just starting to feel her baby now. Probably because, you know, she's...not."

.

Hyde is thoroughly engrossed in trying to figure out what his daughter is doing in there.

.

"It's almost like she's dancing, right?" Jackie smiles wistfully. "Sometimes I like to turn on the radio and get up and dance with her, but then she usually stops," she says crinkling her nose.

.

"Maybe she hates mommy's taste in music, too," he helpfully suggests.

.

Jackie flicks Hyde's earlobe in protest. Amused, he leans in to steal a kiss.

.

"I wish every day could be like how we are right now," she sighs.

.

"It will be soon," he says as he presses his lips to hers once again.

.

"I want believed that, but soon is taking too long" she frowns as she stretches her arms over her head like a cat.

.

"I think it's feels longer for us because we've always had it rough," he tells her.

.

"Her heart is just...you know..." she says, "It may have a hole, but it's..." she gets choked up and distracts herself by rubbing her belly. "I just don't want our tiny dancer to have it rough".

.

"Her? Nah. Her life is gonna be all unicorns and rainbows, doll, I promise," he says as he bends down to kiss her belly.

.

"And troll dolls," she adds.

.

He looks at her sideways. "No trolls except for me. At least until she's 30."

.

"Okay, but then you'd better take better care of yourself so we have you around. You're gonna stick to your cancer diet and no binge drinking," she scolds while nuzzling him like a cat.

.

"Believe me, I'm already regretting it. I hold my liquor like a girl now," he admits. "Or even worse, like Forman."

.

"That's redundant" Jackie comments, causing them both to chuckle at Eric's expense.

.

Jackie brings Hyde's head to rest on her chest and hold him close. While she's sure he means well, she knows more than anybody that talk is cheap and actions are priceless. Unfortunately for them, Fernando is a man with pretty deep pockets.

.

* * *

.

Fez stands smack in the middle of a frenzied throng of clubbers pulsating to the thumping beat of "Kiss" by Prince.

.

He scans the room for signs of his companion, whom he last saw standing at the edge of the dance floor. Looking around, he quickly remembers that she said she was thirsty, so he decides to expand his search to the include bar area as well.

.

There's no sign of her there either. If he closes his eyes, he can almost smell her perfume, but when he flips them back open she's a ghost again.

.

He wonders aloud if she could she be in the bathroom, but he just came from there and would've surely seen her. Fez's mood is currently careening towards that grey area somewhere between fear and vexation. He's not sure whether to be pissed or worried and that's making him feel both pissed and worried.

.

He considers for a moment the possibility that she may have bolted. Sure it's happened to Fez before, though not for ages – not since he quit with the desperate act and tapped into his own hypnotic mojo. Hooking up with Jackie helped a lot with that. She gave Fez the confidence he needed to bring his special brand of juju to the horny masses – and by "masses" he means girls who have a level of self-esteem that is directly disproportionate to their level of physical attractiveness. A good combo when you want to get laid without having to get yourself very drunk first.

.

Since he managed to land Jackie – even though it was only for one day and all they did was kiss – he figured it meant that he'd probably be able to score easily with chicks who are about half as sexy as Jackie is. His assumption is that a chick who is half as hot as Jackie probably wouldn't be half-bad to do it with. It turns out, he was totally right. The Fez barely even has to hustle anymore!

.

Angie, however, is not what he would deem to be one of the "horny masses". For one, she has excellent self-esteem. Also, Fez estimates she's at least 85% as hot as Jackie, not to mention being sweet, clever, a good time and the owner of the most bodacious ta-ta's this side of the Mississippi. He wonders where the hell he went wrong with her. She seemed to be having fun. Would she really just bolt in the night while he was off draining his main vein?

.

They'd gone out a few times already, officially as friends, and have had a blast every night. Dancing with Angie feels to him as natural as the Ogilvie perms look that he gives the ladies at his salon, and Fez can perm the shit out of any woman's hair, so that's saying something. Though nothing's happened yet, he really thought tonight might be their night.

.

Did she ditch him like one of those squat pieces of rubbery black licorice that everybody refuses to eat at the bottom of their Halloween candy bag? He thinks it's unlikely that she'd find him as repulsive black licorice unless she likes to play grab-ass with black licorice, because that is exactly what she'd been doing with Fez all night. Fuck you, black licorice!

.

Fez saunters up to the bar and tries to get the bartender's attention with no luck. He plops down on a bar stool to wait for Angie's possible return. Feeling somewhat dejected, he pulls a small box of electric-green colored Nerds candies from his pocket and dumps the entire contents into his mouth in one go. He then leans over and steals a vodka shot from the guy sitting next to him and uses it as a chaser.

.

After a few more excruciatingly long minutes, he pulls a lone Pixie Stick from his back trouser pocket. He rips open the top, then licks the side of his hand, pours the contents on it and uses the Pixie sugar to do a Lemon Drop shot which he steals from a wasted chick at the bachelorette party sitting to the other side of him.

.

Fez looks as glum as he feels. "I'm nothing but black licorice to Angie."

.

Then something occurs to him that lifts his spirits a bit. If he ever worked in the sex film industry, Black Licorice would make the ultimate porn star name. He would have to remind himself to call Kelso about this later. Alas, it's only a momentary pick-me-up, because unless Angie's been kidnapped by an alien, she has definitely done a runner by now.

.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asks, finally giving Fez his attention.

.

"I'm looking for my date—she was here about 20-30 minutes ago. She has skin like milk chocolate, hair like a proud lioness and a smile that lights up the sun. Also, her body is pretty freaking slammin'. Bitchin' boobies. Maybe you've seen her?" he asks, motioning to his own boobs.

.

He notices a glimmer of recognition in the bartender's face once he mentiones Angie's boobs. "Was she with a good-looking,well-dressed, Latin guy?" he asks.

.

"Hello? Yes." he says pointing to himself, confused.

.

The bartender looks at him quizzically. "I meant a different Latin guy. You know, one who isn't looking for her? A guy who might be currently with her?"

.

Fez doesn't get it.

.

"A guy who is not you!" the bartender yells. "Some other Spanish dude," he says. "He bought her a drink and they left together not too long after that," he says, trying to break the bad news gently.

.

Fez looks at the bartender like he must be crazy. "She wouldn't do that," he says with certainty. "How could she leave me for some guy she just met?"

.

"No, I think she knew him. At least, it seemed that way to me. She was leaning on him and he had his arm around her waist. I think she was pretty drunk," he offers, hoping that detail might cushion the blow. "Oh, and he left these here," he informs him while sliding a half-empty pack of Davidoff cigarettes towards Fez.

.

The bartender pours a shot of _Jägermeister_ and slides it to him. "That bites dude. Here- this one's on the house" he nods and leaves Fez alone with his thoughts.

.

Fez looks at the drink numbly, then reaches in his back pocket and produces another Pixie Stick.

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Hyde are cuddled up in spoon position, asleep on his bed. The phone rings and Jackie leaps up to get it, careful not to disturb Hyde as she slides out from under his heavy arm.

.

"Hello?" she whispers.

.

"Bitch? Did I dial you by mistake? I meant to call Hyde" Fez slurs, as surprised as he is drunk.

.

"Hang on, let me bring the phone in the other room," she says quietly as she brings the portable receiver into the living room.

.

"What's wrong, Fezzy? It's really late, are you okay?" she asks.

.

"Yes, it_ is_ late. What are you doing at your baby-daddy's house?" he teases.

.

"I'll explain later. Why are you calling Steven's at 1am?" she questions, knowing it's unlike Fez to drunk dial anybody but herself and Kelso.

.

"I had another date with Angie tonight and things went a little...awry," he starts.

.

"Wait-you guys are dating? I thought this was a friend type of deal, no?" she questions. "You might want to leave that part out when you talk to Steven. He's still pissed about Michael".

.

"We went to a club tonight and things were going really well. We were dancing, but then I left her to use the little boys room and she said she was thirsty and would wait for me at the bar – only when I got back she was gone," he explains.

.

"Maybe she wasn't feeling well? Have you tried calling her?" she suggests.

.

"Only about a hundred times. It's just...the bartender says she stumbled out of the club drunk with another guy," he says.

.

"Oh man. That sucks, Fez. Are you sure she was really interested and it wasn't all in your imagination? You do that sometimes," she says gently.

.

"She had her hands on my ass all night and there was definite groping – a subject I know a little something about," he brags. "I don't know, Jackie. I just have a very bad feeling about this in my loins," he says.

.

"You mean your gut, Fez," she corrects him.

.

"Why would I have a bad feeling in yogurt?" he look confused and then laughs.

.

"Moving on," Jackie waves her hand for him to continue.

.

"Besides, I know for a fact that she wasn't drunk when I left her to use the john. I mean, how drunk can a woman get in 15 minutes?" he asks.

.

"Well, Donna is a giant lumberjack who can drink..."

.

Fez cuts her off. "Also, the bartender said she knew the guy she left with".

.

"Maybe it was an old friend of hers?" she brainstorms, feebly trying to make Fez feel better.

.

"He said the guy was well-dressed, really handsome and Latino," Fez says, letting the details marinate for a minute with Jackie, hoping she'll come to the same conclusion he has. "Oh, and left a pack of cigarettes, so we know he smokes, which Angie hates".

.

The small brunette's veins suddenly run cold with her suspicion. "Were they Davidoff cigarettes?" she ventures warily.

.

"Let me check" he says as he pulls the pack from his pocket. "Yes, Davidoff".

.

Jackie is lightheaded and can feel the bile rising in her throat. "Hold on," she says weakly as she vomits into a nearby garbage can.

.

"Are you okay, princess?" Fez asks with grave concern.

.

Jackie spits the residue of puke from her mouth and wipes her face with a hand towel. She runs her fingers down the strand of emeralds and restrains herself from tearing them from her neck.

.

"No. I'm not okay," she says, on the verge of tears as she spies her lover's sleeping figure from across the apartment through a crack in the bedroom door.

.

"Do you want me to come over?" he offers.

.

"No. I don't want Steven to hear about this until we know more. He's had a, um, rough night, and needs to sleep. I'll come to you," she says before she hangs up the phone.

.

She peeks through the crack to make sure Steven is still asleep then hits the on button on the phone again to reluctantly dial one of her least favorite people.

.

The phone picks up on the third ring. "Hello?" Eric answers groggily.

.

Jackie sighs with relief. "Oh thank God it's you who picked up."

.

"That's got to be a first," he says in a clipped tone. "What do you want Elvira? It's late".

.

"I need your help," she says nervously.

.

"Why don't you call Hyde?" he suggests, irritated with her for disturbing his rest.

.

"Do you think I would be calling you if I could call him about this? Besides, I'm phoning you from his living room. I don't want him to know I called you" she explains.

.

Panicked, Eric asks nervously "He doesn't know about-?"

.

"No!" she hisses, cutting him off. "God no. Don't you think if he knew about that it might be my lead-in sentence?"

.

"Point taken," he concedes.

.

"Can you meet me right now at Fez's?" she asks. "It's very important".

.

"I'll be there in 20," he says as he hangs up the phone.

.

Jackie pushes the end button on the phone and is suddenly distracted by her empty, scabbed-over ring finger. She wonders how jewelry, something she once loved more that anything, could so quickly become her greatest nightmare.

.

* * *

.

Fez puts the phone down and rubs his face with both hands. "They found her handbag in the parking lot. All of the money was gone, but the ID's were still in there."

.

"Jesus. That's not a good sign," Jackie says, exhaling loudly to calm herself down. "God, I wish I could drink vodka right now" She sets her mouth firmly into a line to avoid crying.

.

"Has anybody called Kelso yet?" Eric suggests.

.

"I called him earlier. He's on his way up. In fact, I'll be back in a little bit. I'm going to get the guest room ready for him." Fez glides through the house in a daze, anxiety and grief oozing from his every pore.

.

Once Fez leaves the area, the room becomes deadly quiet. Neither Eric nor Jackie make any effort to chat or even maintain eye contact and the uncomfortable silence hangs in the air for several minutes as they sit side by side on the couch.

.

"I was really worried when you called earlier," Eric admits, first to break their silence.

.

"I know" she says.

.

"It's just...I basically wait in fear for that one midnight phone call from you. I know it's going to come someday. It's inevitable, right? And there's nothing I can do to stop it. It's like I'm Wylie Coyote and there's an anvil swinging right over my head, and it's hanging on by a thread just waiting to fall and crush my skull," he muses.

.

"You're such a drama queen. Are you getting your period or something?" Jackie complains.

.

"Glad to see pregnancy hasn't mellowed you" he mumbles.

.

"What do want me to say – that I'm worried? All right, I am. As a matter of fact, Steven asked me tonight if I've ever done anything that I'm ashamed of," she says, her eyes flicking to Eric for a moment then back to the floor.

.

"What did you tell him? I mean, how are you supposed to narrow it down? It could take you hours" Eric retorts while shooting her a smug look.

.

"Okay, I walked into that one. You want a slow clap?" she says with snark as she very slowly applauds his burn.

.

"I think you enjoy having the power to ruin my fucking life" he snipes, getting steadily more annoyed with her cavalier attitude.

.

"Yeah, you're all I ever think about. Jesus idiot, you ruined your own life. Don't try to shift the blame over to me," she bitches.

.

"That's right Satan, nothing is ever your fault. I wonder who Hyde would side with in this situation," he says, touching his finger to his chin as if in thought.

.

Jackie's eyes go dark. "If you go up against me Eric, you will lose. You're gonna wish I was the devil, because he'd show you more mercy than I will" she threatens, not even bothering to look at him.

.

Jackie is out of breath from her rant and drops her head into her hands.

.

Eric feels bad that he upset the pregnant lady, knowing full well Donna would hand him his ass for this. "Here's an idea, why don't we stop talking about it?" he offers, hoping to keep the peace.

.

"Fine by me. You were the one who brought it up" she pouts. "So... is our annual fight about this over now?" she asks earnestly, looking up at him.

.

He runs his hands through his hair to shake out the exhaustion. "Yep" he says as he gives her a sidelong glance and smirks.

.

She stifles a private smile.

.

They sit in a comfortable silence now, both coming down from their latest battle.

.

"I'm scared, Eric," she says almost imperceptibly.

.

Eric wraps his arm around Jackie's waist, brings her close and lets her head fall on his shoulder. "I know". He kisses the top of her head.

.

Jackie leans her head back and whispers something intently into Eric's ear, which causes his eyes to grow wide with shock and mouth to drop open a bit.

.

"There you go, Eric. Now we share two secrets," she says softly as she lays her head back on his shoulder and they wait for Fez's return.

.

* * *

.

It's 5am and Hyde shifts his weight in bed, finally feeling the effects of the last night's beating without the benefit of painkillers. He stretches to the best of his ability, letting out a moan through gritted teeth as his arms are raised above his head. "Shit" he grumbles as her leans over to cuddle Jackie, only to realize she isn't in the bed.

.

"Baby!" he yells towards the bathroom. "Are you in there?" he asks, but never receives an answer. "Jackie!" he screams even louder, hoping to reach her in the living room or kitchen, but again, he's greeted with silence.

.

His brow furrows in concern as he tries to get up, but wrenching pain sends him right back down on to the bed again with labored breathing. "Fuck". He holds his midriff and tries again, but he still can't quite make it out of bed without extreme pain. "Are you okay baby?" he calls her again, this time getting more concerned by the lack of response.

.

Hyde looks for the phone, but it's not on the receiver, since Jackie left it in the kitchen after her call with Fez. What he does find on the receiver is a pink post-it note with Jackie's handwriting that says:

_**.**_

_Doing a favor for a friend._

_Should be back soon._

_xox_

_Your doll_

_**.**_

He eyes the note suspiciously, then puts it down on Jackie's pillow.

.

Glancing over at his night table, he notices the Advil bottle Jackie left out for him, but the water glass is empty. "Of course" he gripes as he taps three Advil out into his hand before swallowing them dry with a wince.

.

Hyde gingerly slides back into a horizontal position and looks lovingly over at the imprint where Jackie slept last night. He presses his fingers to his lips, then touches the post-it on her pillow before falling back into a deep slumber with a faint smile on his face.

.

* * *

.

In a small but luxurious room in the middle of nowhere, a clock alarm goes off at 8am, playing the song "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin at an obnoxiously loud sound level.

.

_**Here is a little song I wrote  
You might want to sing it note for note  
Don't worry be happy**_

.

Face-down in the middle of a strange hotel bed, Angie begins to stir, finally showing some signs of life. She groans deeply, as she's clearly suffering from a wicked hang-over.

.**  
_In every life we have some trouble_  
_When you worry you make it double_  
_Don't worry, be happy..._**

.

She does a few snow angels in the cool sheets to wake up. She slowly picks her head up to see where she is, then immediately freaks out when she doesn't recognize the room and scrambles to a sitting position.

.  
_**Ain't got no place to lay your head****  
****Somebody came and took your bed****  
****Don't worry, be happy**_

.

She looks at the sheet wrapped around her body and realizes she's naked and is instantly nauseous. She covers her mouth tightly and takes a deep cleansing breath.

.

"Fez?" she asks hopefully, with a trembling voice, knowing deep down he's nowhere nearby and that something horrible has happened to her.

.

_**The land lord say your rent is late  
He may have to litigate  
Don't worry, be happy**_

_**Look t me I am happy  
Don't worry, be happy**_

_**.**_

_**Here I give you my phone number  
When you worry call me  
I make you happy  
Don't worry, be happy**_

.

She grabs the phone from the nightstand but there is no dial tone. She clicks the button on the receiver many times but nothing works. Angie pulls the phone wires out from behind the table and sees they have been severed. She immediately starts crying, though stops herself almost as quickly in an attempt to keep her wits sharp. If she's going to be murdered, she's going to go down fighting.

.  
_**Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style****  
****Ain't got not girl to make you smile****  
****But don't worry be happy****  
****Cause when you worry****  
****Your face will frown****  
****And that will bring everybody down****  
****So don't worry, be happy (now)...**_  
.

Angie stands up quickly. She pulls the sheet tightly around her body and tucks the end in to secure it. She looks around for her clothes but can't seem to find them anywhere. Approaching the window, her hands begin to shake. She brings them up to the soft edges of the silver dupioni curtains and pulls them open in one stroke, revealing the view before her like a magic trick.

.

Below the window is the most beautiful white, sandy beach Angie has ever seen. The water is sea green and seems to be rather shallow. The people wearing hotel uniforms are mostly dark—Mexican perhaps—and the clientele seems unbelievably wealthy. Is she in a resort? How did she get here and why does it feel like she's just run a marathon?

.  
_**There is this little song I wrote****  
****I hope you learn it note for note****  
****Like good little children****  
****Don't worry, be happy**_

_._

It suddenly hits her—the last thing she remembers is being with Fez and him leaving to use the bathroom. Somebody at the bar bought her a drink and now she's here, in a beachfront resort probably on the coast of Mexico somewhere, bruised, wearing nothing but a silk sheet and nursing some seriously chaffed private parts. "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?" her brain screams primally inside her head.

.

Then is comes to her... little pieces here and there. An expensive watch, a simple platinum wedding band, elegant yet masculine hands running down her body, touching her in places she'd have to work up to with guys she actually does know.

.

Then the mouth... full lips, sensual smile, powerful tongue. God it's so familiar, but who?

.

She tries hard to focus her memory on the eyes of her captor... brown, intense, passionate yet cruel. She knows these eyes from somewhere. She wracks her brain to figure out where.

.  
_**Listen to what I say****  
****In your life expect some trouble****  
****But when you worry****  
****You make it double****  
****Don't worry, be happy...****  
****Don't worry don't do it, be happy**_

_._

Angie does everything in her power to stay strong and keep it together, She knows first hand that panicking can make people do stupid things. She loosens her bed sheet and peeks under it, anxious to see what's causing her body so much soreness. Whatever she sees under the sheet makes her feel faint and horrified and sends her running towards the shower in disgust.

.

_**Put a smile on your face****  
****Don't bring everybody down like this****  
****Don't worry, it will soon past****  
****Whatever it is****  
****Don't worry, be happy**_

**.**

**A/N- What did you think? This one was grueling to write. Really hard to do that to poor Angie. ****What do you think of Jackie's secret? Were you surprised? Please let me know what you think ****of this chapter by leaving a review. I welcome all feedback-including you anonymous readers ****out there. You don't even have to register. And to all of you awesome people receiving alerts, ****I am SO flattered you want to know what happens next! Stay tuned.**


	22. Chapter 22

**I'm doing a prequel called "Everybody Must Get Stoned", which fills in a lot of the blanks during those seven years in-between 1980 and when Jackie sees Hyde at the Elvis Costello concert in 1987. This would also include the alluded to Eric/Jackie fling.**

**.**

**BTW, to the reviewer who asked if Jackie's baby is Eric's, the answer is NO - their affair was brief and happened in 1980. I am a strictly J/H shipper, but writing about old secrets is fun. I'm a D/E fan too, so I wouldn't want to see them apart either. Everybody will be happy in the end. Have faith in me~**

**.**

**Thanks again to all who have reviewed. The comments seemed to have slowed down a bit, so I'm extra appreciative of my frequent commenters like Schottzie, Texan & DFT as well as the anons and newbies who have posted. Please please don't stop—it helps me stay in track and really inspires me to keep going, knowing people are actually reading this and waiting for the next chapter. I respond well to pressure. Hee.**

**.**

**FYI – the last two scenes in this chapter have a soft M rating – not really any detailed sex scenes, but there are a few sexual phrases or references that are a bit graphic.**

.

**CHAPTER 22**

.

Fez opens the front door to his apartment and lets Kelso inside. As he enters, Kelso blows past both guys and immediately crosses to Jackie, lifting her up into a warm bear hug.

.

"Are you okay, Jackie?" Kelso asks her as he strokes her back gently.

.

"Can't say this is the best day I've ever had," she laughs joylessly, trying to relieve the tension.

.

"Where's Hyde?" he asks.

.

"He's under the weather" she says unconvincingly as Kelso gives her a strange look.

.

"He's too under the weather to try to find his missing sister?" he presses.

.

"Okay fine, I lied! He doesn't know. He really isn't feeling well, which is why I didn't tell him yet," she says.

.

"Your funeral" Kelso says, holding up his hands to absolve himself of all connection.

.

"Nice choice of words, Michael," she says gritting her teeth.

.

Fez shuts the door and tags Kelso's shoulder to get his attention. "Were the police able to find anything?"

.

Kelso shakes his head sadly. "No new info, but the good news is that nobody fitting Angie's description has been dropped off at any of the local hospitals or morgues, so that's at least something. Can I clear up a few details with you about last night, Fez?" he asks.

.

Fez nods, pulls out two beers from his nearby wine fridge and hands one to his friend. "It's been a long night," he says, with a catch in his voice, as his best friend puts an arm around him for comfort. "I'm out of my mind with worry. I shouldn't have used the bathroom. If I had been with her, she'd be okay".

.

Eric looks conspiratorially at Jackie and tilts his head towards the kitchen before leaving the living room.

.

Jackie lags for a beat, taking a moment to look at Fez's sad face and eyes glistening with unshed tears, and then bites her lip to keep her own tears at bay. Fez is the happiest person she knows, and seeing him torn up like this is just killing her. It's not going to help Angie if she falls apart though, not when she's one of the only people who can probably do anything to help her.

.

Jackie walks into the kitchen and Eric shuts the door behind her, checking first to make sure nobody has followed behind her. He turns the sink faucet on full-blast and activates the extractor hood as well for sound cover.

.

Eric points his long index finger in Jackie's direction, then drops it for a moment before gaining the resolve to deal with his occasional nemesis. "I'm telling Kelso what you whispered to me in the other room," he says, careful not to be too specific, in case somebody is listening on the other end of Jackie's bugged necklace.

.

Jackie nervously casts her eyes down to the clasp of her emerald strand.

.

"Trust me," he says, his eyes begging her to let him help.

.

Jackie breathes deeply and mulls it over. "I don't know, Eric" she says warily. "My instructions were pretty specific, and now that the situation has become twice as complicated...I just don't think I can afford to risk it. What if it backfires?"

.

"You can't afford not to risk it. I mean, how much worse are you going to let things get? We have no idea where Angie is or if she's even alive-!" he says harshly to her, trying not to raise his voice.

.

Jackie stifles a sob with a shaky hand. "You have no idea how bad I feel right now. Steven was attacked last night. He's pretty banged up but he should be okay. I can barely even look at him without my heart jumping into my throat-there was so much blood" she confides to him as she grimaces, remembering her ex's injuries from the night before. Jackie leans on the kitchen counter for support. "I just...I didn't want to worry him with this now because he needs to recover. You know if I told him about Angie last night he'd just go off half-cocked and try to be a hero, so I want him to sleep it off before he does something stupid," she says quietly.

.

"Three victims now? Well, that fucking settles it," he says angrily as he tries to brush past her.

.

"Please Eric!" she puts both hands on his chest to prevent him from passing.

.

"No Jackie. You know what, you got everybody into this mess, so I think you've lost your vote, okay?" he chastises her. "This is your fault for not waiting for Hyde. You just couldn't be alone, right? You had to get married to the first guy who said yes. It's almost like your lady parts are the Bermuda Triangle. A guy who gets involved with you is either in danger or dangerous to others."

.

"You seemed to have made it out alive," she snaps.

.

"Barely," he snaps back.

.

"You're such an asshole, Forman," Jackie says as she breaks down, sobbing into her hands. She had wanted to keep her composure, but Eric's potshots are second in cruelty only to Steven's, and she hasn't had to suffer those in a while, so she's out of practice. The dam had to break loose sometime.

.

Eric watches her cry for a minute and his anger starts to melt. He expected to enjoy hurting her more, but it's not as fulfilling as it once was. He knows it's irrational to blame Jackie for all of this, but he can't ignore the shit-storm that seems to befall every man who has ever had the misfortune of being involved with her. She's like a cursed princess in a fairytale who bewitches men into throwing their lives away just for a shot at rescuing her. She'd make a bitchin' D&D character though, he thinks, especially since she knows how to kick some ass.

.

Eric is routinely amazed by the lemming-like response that Jackie incites in the general male population, even though he's been there first-hand. Years ago he did a short stint as her lemming, so he gets it. She has a unique way of making men to do and say just about anything then mind-fucks them into thinking that they had the idea themselves. The force is strong within this one, all right.

Eric used to be surprised at how she managed to corrupt and change his adopted brother so much. Before Hyde was taken in by those blue-green eyes of hers, he used to be a rational, self-possessed misanthrope -but he was also distant, self-loathing and untethered too. She changed all that. That's her gift. She can make an average guy feel like the only man in the world and fill him up with a level of unconditional love and confidence that no person can possibly generate on their own. She unselfishly throws herself into her lover and makes him her entire world, whether he deserves it or not. How can anybody resist that—regardless of how high the price is?

.

Eric gives himself a swift mental foot in the ass, as he involuntarily pulls Jackie into his chest to comfort her.

.

"Hey," he says weakly as her sobs begin to finally die down a bit.

.

She looks up at him with wet eyes.

.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't really mean all of that, Jackie" he says gently, recanting his attack.

.

Jackie wipes her tears off with the back of her hand. "Yes you did," she pouts petulantly as she pushes her lip out.

.

Eric pulls away the stray hairs stuck by tears to Jackie's face, tucks them behind her ears and sighs. "No, I didn't. Look, I doubt I'd be with Donna now if we didn't...you know...if you hadn't been there for me when I got back from Africa. You just - you helped me through a really tough time, so even though I never ever EVER want a living soul to find out about it, I can't say I regret what happened between us and I can understand why Hyde feels the way he does about you."

.

"Aww that's sweet," she says as she places a hand over her heart, truly touched.

.

Eric shifts uncomfortably on his feet. "Do, um...do you regret it?" he wonders aloud.

.

"Ew. Of course I totally regret it. Yeuch!" she says as she waves her hand around, grossed out. She suddenly realizes how mean she sounds and grabs his arm. "Of course, you were wonderful though," she insists in a tone that makes it clear she didn't enjoy herself.

.

"Stop! You're going to give me an ego," he warns her sarcastically.

.

"So, does this mean you_ don't_ think my vagina is the Bermuda Triangle?" she asks, fishing for a retraction.

.

Eric sighs heavily and concedes. "No, I don't think your vagina is the Bermuda Triangle," he mumbles with a vaguely amused expression on his face. "Maybe just like...a pirate's cove or something else vaguely hazardous," he laughs.

.

"I guess I should just be relieved you didn't call it the Death Star." Jackie uses the edge of Eric's shirt to dry her face and smiles. "Thanks dork".

.

"So...you're okay with me going to Kelso?" he checks.

.

Jackie nods in agreement. "You can talk to him when I leave. I'm going to go check on Steven and then go to work for a few hours, then I'll be back. Promise you won't let anybody say anything to Steven yet. I just want him to rest today."

.

Eric nods and turns off the extractor fan before heading out.

.

* * *

.

Eric and Jackie walk back into the living room and Jackie immediately grabs her handbag and continues towards the door.

.

"You're leaving already?" Kelso looks at her with disbelief.

.

"I've really got to go," she says quickly.

.

"But Jackie-"

.

"I'm sorry. I have to...I'll let Eric explain," she says. "Call if you have news. I'll be back in a few hours," she promises, running out the door without looking back.

.

"Damn, Jackie!" Kelso yells after her in response. "I had questions for you!" he shouts, perturbed.

.

"Well, I may have some answers for you," Eric offers.

.

"You have a lead on what happened to Angie?" Kelso looks at him sideways.

.

Eric is about to speak, but then glances up at Fez who looks like he's about to say something.

.

"Fernando" Fez says his name like it's a curse.

.

Eric is wide-eyed. "She told you too?"

.

"She didn't have to. When I gave her the description of the guy who left the bar with Angie last night, her reaction was kind of telling" he says.

.

"What exactly was her reaction?" Kelso asks, relying on his cop-training.

.

"She projectile vomited," he says simply as he turns to look out of the window. "When we find him, I'm going to kill that son of a bitch," he threatens.

.

"Oh, and he's blackmailing Jackie!" Eric explains. "He told her he was going to have her mom killed if she tried to leave him or if she told anybody about his threat. He has her bugged too, so she can't really speak freely to anybody".

.

"How'd she tell you then?" Kelso asks.

.

"Sonic hearing" Eric says as he points to his ears. "And he also had somebody kick the crap out of Hyde last night. I think Angie is just extra insurance. This guy clearly does not leave loose ends."

.

"Does anybody know where Pam is now? Has Jackie heard from her?" Kelso follows up, still shaken by the new developments.

.

Eric shrugs his shoulders.

.

"Mexico" Fez says. "She was in Acapulco with Jackie a while back, but she's not there now. She usually spends nine months of the year there, so she must still be in Mexico. I know she likes to party in Tampico sometimes in the summer," he suggests, finally turning around to face his friends.

.

"Where's that?" Kelso asks.

.

"It's on the Gulf. Jackie's been. I hear it's nice this time of year" Fez says with a curious look before quickly downing the rest of his beer.

.

"Fez that's...I know that look and if you're thinking what I think you're thinking then you are fucking crazy. You're not going to Mexico!" Eric shouts as an order, completely freaked out by the possibility of his friend enlisting himself in a kamikaze mission.

.

"I'll go" Kelso offers bravely. "I'm not going to let him go on his own. Somebody has to protect the little guy," he says to Eric, puffing his chest out.

.

"Yeah, you think Brooke's gonna be down with that?" Eric asks.

.

"I'm a cop. She's down with it every day," Kelso counters.

.

Eric wrestles with some conflicting feelings, then runs both hands through his hair and lets out an exasperated primal scream. "I'm on sabbatical, so I've got some time".

.

"I think that means he's coming with us to Portugal!" Kelso grins in triumph.

.

"Mexico" Fez corrects.

.

Eric pinches the area between his eyes.

.

* * *

.

Jackie opens the door to Hyde's apartment carrying a bag with soup from the deli. She puts the food and her keys down on the kitchen counter, then slips off her shoes and walks barefoot into Hyde's room.

.

Hyde is still asleep on the bed in nearly the same position she left him. As she watches her lover sleep, Jackie is overwhelmed by a sense of longing, even though he's close enough in front of her to touch.

.

Seems like lately, every time they experience turbulence or get through a major obstacle together she finds them drawing even closer with each hurdle. It used to be that even small problems would send her into an emotional tailspin and him running for the hills. Now, the things that drove them apart in the past surprisingly seem to be the same things binding them together. They've certainly come a long way.

.

Jackie's not sure if it's the baby or Steven's brush with death that precipitated the shift, but she suspects they've both just come to a point where they've accepted that their happiness only lies within each other, for better or worse. All foolish pride and stubbornness from their past is gone, and what's left between them is the knowledge that all roads lead back to each other. No matter where she goes, he'll always be the one at the end of her path and she's at peace with it. Why fight what you can't change?

.

Jackie removes the post-it from her pillow and tosses it into the nearby waste paper basket, then slides into bed next to Steven with all of her clothes still on.

.

Hyde stirs a bit and when his arm makes contact with her, his eyes slowly pop open and a grin spreads across his face. "Hey doll".

.

"Morning puddin' pop" she says as she scoots closer and starts to stroke his hair softly. "How are you feeling today?" she asks.

.

"I feel like I've been thrown from a train, but having you next to me here is the best medicine," he coos lovingly.

.

She looks at him suspiciously, puzzled by his sudden mushiness. "You found the Vicodin" she says pursing her lips.

.

Hyde smiles again and nods.

.

"That explains a lot" she smiles as she kisses his forehead.

.

He pulls her down for a real kiss. "Are you implying I have to be on drugs in order to say sweet things to you?"

.

She kisses him passionately. "Pretty much. Yeah."

.

"Come on. You know I love you, even if I'm not all corny and crap like Forman," he shrugs.

.

"I love you too, more than you'll ever know," she promises.

.

Hyde laughs. "Now who's on Vicodin?"

.

Jackie flicks him in the arm. He grabs her offending hand and uses it to pull her closer, then lays a big wet kiss on her mouth.

.

"Where did you go this morning?" he inquires.

.

"Fez's. He has some stuff going on and needed my help." she bends the truth.

.

He nods. "Oh that reminds me, I've got to call Angie and tell her I'm not coming in today."

.

"I can do that for you" Jackie offers cheerfully.

.

Hyde smiles at her boundless desire to help him. "Thanks baby".

.

Jackie snuggles into Hyde, lays her head on his chest and closes her eyes. "I want to stay right here forever".

.

Hyde strokes Jackie's hair. "Then do it," he says, egging her on.

.

"I wish. I have to be at work in two hours. My call time is at 11am" she groans.

.

"Quit your job and just stay right here," he jokes, patting his groin.

.

"Classy" she teases.

.

"You don't like classy. If you did, you wouldn't have hooked up with me," he grins.

.

"Maybe you're right". Jackie kisses her favorite spot on Hyde's neck as she slides her hand down the front of his pants, causing him to groan.

.

"What are you up to?" he whispers in her ear. "You realize I'm pretty much worthless today, right? I can barely move without pain".

.

"Sit back and relax, Mr. Hyde. Just giving you a 'Happy Ending'," she says as she moves her hand up and down.

.

Hyde smirks. "I can get on board with that. It's about time we got a happy ending, babe" he says with mock seriousness as he leans down to kiss her once again.

.

"You said it" she whispers back.

.

* * *

.

Angie turns off the shower and peeks her head out of the frosted glass door to make sure she's alone. After confirming that she's in there solo, she timidly steps out of the marble and brass stall onto the cold travertine tile floor and sighs in relief. She had locked the door, but seeing as she has no fucking clue where she is right now or who she is with, the flimsy lock has been of little comfort to her. Also, she tried earlier to get out of the front door of her hotel room, but the door seemed jammed from the outside. Clearly, she's not in control of the room.

.

Overheated and feeling a little dizzy from her long stretch under the scalding water, the cool tile below her feet is welcoming and refreshing. She approaches the wide mirror on the vanity and wipes the condensation from the upper section with the back of her arm to get a look at her face.

.

The bathroom air is thick with steam as she's been running the water for nearly an hour. Ironically, the more the fog overtakes the mirrors, the less fog seems to remain in her head. During her shower, events from the prior evening have started taking shape as her mind and senses sharpen once again. Though terrified, Angie is desperate to plum the depths of her own brain for more clues.

.

Undaunted, she takes a hand towel and wipes the rest of the mirror down, revealing her full naked form. The first thing that catches her attention is her lack of public hair. This was the revelation that sent her running to the shower in the first place. Sometime between last night and this morning, somebody shaved it off, which she not only finds strange but also disturbing for what it suggests about the level of intimacy she was forced to endure with a stranger.

.

On her wrists and ankles were some light marks that imply she was tied up in some way, maybe with scarves or padded handcuffs. They aren't quite dark enough to have been done using violent force so she assumes they're more likely the result of some sort of sexual bondage play. This theory seems to be reinforced by the slight indenture marks on either side of each nipple, which she can only guess were caused by wearing clamps.

.

As she turns around, she finds some small red welts on her rear end. She shakes her head. Somebody spanked the hell out of her. Who is this sick fuck and why did he choose her? She never thought she carried herself like a victim and has even taken some self-defense courses in the past. Part of her wants to curl up into a ball and die, but she's a fighter, so she'll save her breakdown in fetal position for the plane ride back to Chicago. Right now, she's got to think like a shark and just keep moving.

.

Angie wraps a fluffy white towel around her body and shudders. How she ended up in the hands of some freaky dominant is still a mystery, but she's slowly starting to piece it together.

.

She remembers being at the club and dancing with Fez. At some point Fez excused himself to the bathroom and she went to the bar to get a drink. She recalls the image of a $100 bill waving in the air and something about an Alabama Slammer, which she's pretty sure is a drink. She has a friend from California who used to like to drink those but she's never tried one herself.

.

This is the point where the timeline goes blank, other than the odd image here or there. The only thing she knows for sure is that she was drugged, that was evident when she woke up. She's never used drugs herself, besides the odd joint with her brother, so she's fairly confident that she was dosed which most likely occurred when she got a drink at the bar. Anybody could have slipped something in when she wasn't paying attention.

.

There's one nagging feeling that remains though- she feels like she knows her attacker somehow.

.

Angie exits the bathroom on high alert and finds a set of clothes in her size waiting for her on the bed, including a bathing suit, coverup, straw hat, sunglasses and espadrilles, with a note telling her to put everything on and report directly to the pool area.

.

Due to a lack of other clothing options, she follows directions and dresses herself in the outfit.

.

Once dressed, she places her hand on the door handle and holds her breath as she bears down to open it. She hears a click and exhales smiling- they unblocked it. She may not be out of the woods yet, but at least she's out of that freaking room.

.

Angie wanders the hallway and is deeply crestfallen when she realizes there is only one way out of her gilded cage – and that's through the pool area. Apparently, she's in a luxury cabana and there's no choice but to face her kidnapper.

.

Seeing as she's out of options, she decides to toughen up and face her situation head on, hoping the reality isn't as bad as her imagination. Angie may have been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but her dad is a badass and taught her never to run from a fight. Clinging to faith, she straightens her back and steels herself for a face-to-face meeting with the man who transformed a square, record-chain executive into an international submissive sex slave.

.

As Angie walks out into the bright sunshine, she's struck with how bizarrely normal the environment around her is. The faint strains of "Red Red Wine" by UB40 echo softy in the background and the air is sweet with tropical plants. If she didn't know better, she'd think she was on her honeymoon.

.

**Red, red wine, go to my head,**  
**Make's me forget that I**  
**Still need you so.**  
.

Her particular area of the resort seems to be exclusive and sectioned off, as there aren't too many others in the area save for a few Japanese businessmen with blonde and busty girlfriends.

.

**Red, red wine, it's up to you.**  
**All I can do, I've done;**  
**But mem'ries won't go.**  
**No, mem'ries won't go.**  
.

One lone figure in the distance immediately draws her attention. It's a beautiful woman in her late 40's, wearing a getup similar to the one that was left for her on the bed. The woman quickly notices Angie and beams a friendly smile at her. Half-standing at her table, she waves her over excitedly.

.

**I'd have thought that with time**  
**Thoughts of you would leave my head.**  
**I was wrong, and now I find**  
**Just one thing makes me forget.**

.

As Angie drifts towards the woman, she notices something familiar about her. She can't place her finger on it, but she feels she's met her before.

.

**Red, red wine, stay close to me.**  
**Don't let me be alone;**  
**It's tearing apart**  
**My blue, blue heart.**

**.**

"You must be Angie," the lady says, grabbing one of Angie's hands warmly between both of hers. "They told me to wait for you".

.

"Nice to meet you" Angie says reflexively. "Do you know where I am?"

.

"Why, you're in Tampico," she says cheerfully. "This resort is the best in the whole area," she brags, giving Angie a little congratulatory wiggle. "Do you like your clothes? I picked them out for you. I have great taste," she says with delight.

.

"They're...nice, thanks. Do you...do you know who I'm with?" she asks nervously.

.

The woman gives her a confused look and pouts her lips. "You're telling me you don't remember last night?"

.

"I don't. Are we in Mexico?" she asks, hoping to use her plight to win this woman over as an ally.

.

The woman's brows furrow deeply with concern. "How did you get here? You had to cross the border somehow" she wonders.

.

"The last thing I remember is being in a club in Chicago," she confides.

.

**I'd have thought that with time**  
**Thoughts of you would leave my head.**  
**I was wrong, and now I find**  
**Just one thing makes me forget.**

.

The woman's big azure eyes grow even bigger. "My daughter lives in Chicago! Maybe you know her- she does the news? Her name is Jackie Burkhart," Pam says proudly as she poses a hand on her hip. "Oh, and I'm Pam".

.

Angie's mouth falls open as the memories come flooding back in like a tidal wave. The elegant hands, the platinum ring, the intense eyes, the clamps, the handcuffs, that sensual mouth—all of them, all of those things and more belong to Jackie's husband, Fernando Rey. If he's done this to her, then what the hell has he done to Jackie? Angie's face drains of color as she reaches for a lounge chair to sit.

.

**Red, red wine, stay close to me.**  
**Don't let me be alone;**  
**It's tearing apart**  
**My blue, blue heart.**

.

**A/N- I know this chapter is kind of crazy. I hope some of the Eric/Jackie stuff was cleared up and you can see where this is heading. PLEASE leave a review to let me know your thoughts on this chapter. I'm not above begging...**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hi again. I know the last chapter was a bit of a rollercoaster. I'm also aware that lots of you zennies are skeeved out by the Jackie/Eric history-but I swear when you read it in the prequel it will make sense and gross you out a little less. FWIW, their fling takes place way back in 1980 and it was just a little thing, not a big love affair. Nobody cheated on anybody, if that makes it easier to swallow.**

**.**

**As with everything, you can't please everybody. So to those of you who are unhappy and want to bail, I thank you for reading up until now. For those of you who are still with me, I promise (okay, hope) you're going to like how it all plays out. This is a continuation of my first fan fiction story, so I'm still a green writer. It's been a great learning experience so far and I have to keep going with the story in order to get better at it, so your encouragement and reviews really help. Thank you.**

**.**

**All good, bad & ugly comments are welcome in the reviews section, though obviously I prefer the first one!**

**.**

**CHAPTER 23**

.

"Do you know my daughter? Maybe you've seen her on TV" Pam asks in her typical sing-songy voice.

.

"Well, actually...Steven Hyde is my brother," Angie responds.

.

Pam looks at Angie while she thinks hard.

.

"He's the father of your daughter's baby," she reminds her.

.

Pam has a eureka moment. "OH. That Steven Hyde," she says. "I kind of forgot all about him now that Jackie's married to Fernando".

.

The last part of that sentence sends a chill up Angie's spine. Fernando.

.

"So, um...speaking of Jackie's husband-when's the last time you've seen him?" she asks casually.

.

Pam looks at her like she's crazy. "Last night. Wow, you really were pretty gone, huh?"

.

Angie swallows hard. "Is he around?"

.

"Have a seat, he should be back at some point," Pam suggests, gesturing to the table she's at. "It's so beautiful here. If you have to wait somewhere, it may as well be in paradise, am I right?" she giggles.

.

Angie sits down and Pam slides a drink over to her. "Fernando said you like these".

.

Angie is about to take a sip, then suddenly stops, worried this may be some sort of trap. "What is this?" she asks Pam.

.

"Havey Wallbanger," she smiles as she sips her Pina Colada.

.

* * *

.

Jackie walks to the door of Fez's apartment and is about to knock until she finds a note taped to it.

.

_**J,**_

_**Gone to Tampico.**_

_**Be back soon.**_

_**Call FBI if we're not.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Your favorite three dudes besides Hyde**_

.

"What are you idiots thinking?" she angrily shouts at the door, before turning on her heel and leaving.

.

* * *

.

Hyde is on the phone in the living room.

.

"He went where?" Hyde looks completely confused.

.

"Mexico" Donna sighs on the other side of the line.

.

"For?" he asks.

.

"When's the last time you spoke with Jackie?" she gently asks him.

.

"About 4-5 hours ago, but we didn't do much speaking," he brags then laughs at his own joke.

.

"Gross. Well, you need to talk to her ASAP," she warns.

.

Hyde has a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "You know about Fernando, don't you?"

.

"Eric told me," she says.

.

"How the hell does he know?" Hyde wonders when he hears the key in the lock. "She just got here".

.

"Go talk to her and then get back to me," Donna pleads before hanging up.

.

Jackie walks into the apartment with another bag from the deli and shuts the door behind her.

.

"You're up!" she says happily, as she drops the food on the counter to greet Hyde at the couch with a kiss. "I got you more soup".

.

"Turns out you were right about me needing sleep," he says as he strokes the back of her hair.

.

"I'm always right," she reminds him. "But do you feel better?"

.

"I do. I think the massage helped" he winks at her.

.

Jackie folds herself into Hyde's arms and burrows as deep as she can get.

.

"Anything...new?" he asks her in a tone that lets her know she's been busted.

.

She pulls back nervously. "What?"

.

"I spoke with Donna. She says Forman and the others have gone to Mexico," he says. "Any idea why?"

.

Jackie's demeanor changes as she shifts in her seat. She wrestles with how she's going to break the news about Angie in a way that gives her enough time to talk him down. Telling Steven something like this is like waving a red flag in front of a bull, and she's afraid he won't be rational enough to listen to anything once he hears what she has to say.

.

Jackie lifts the necklace and looks at Hyde. "I don't want to say".

.

"Can't you take that fucking thing off already?" he asks.

.

"What if it only makes things worse? He could get angry if I do" she imagines, scared. "What if we need it for some reason, you know, for misdirection?" she whispers.

.

Hyde walks to the kitchen and grabs a knife from the knife block, he walks back and cuts the necklace off of her in one stroke then brings it back to the kitchen and deposits it into the fridge and returns the knife.

.

"There. Now we still have it if we need it" he grins. "I've been dying to take that off of you". He runs his hands down the sides of her neck and plants a few kisses there as he sits again. "Though I kind of like the idea of him listening to me get you off."

.

Jackie has a look of total distress on her face. "I have to tell you something".

.

He pulls her onto his lap and continues kissing her neck. Jackie gently pushes herself off of him and holds his face. "I can't concentrate when you do that".

.

Hyde's spine stiffens as he realizes something is very wrong. "This has to do with the guys going to Mexico?"

.

Jackie nods. "They went there because they're looking for...Angie" she cringes as she says his sister's name.

.

He stares at her for a moment without emotion. "What happened to Angie?"

.

Jackie slides off the couch and begins pacing in front of him. "She, um..."

.

He grabs her legs and steadies her. "Just tell me".

.

"Fez was at a club with her last night and he went to the bathroom -when he came back she was gone," she confesses.

.

"So? Maybe she went home?" he tensely suggests.

.

Jackie shakes her head slowly. "We have pretty good reason to believe that Fernando had something to do with it," she tells him, bracing for the explosion.

.

Hyde's features harden as he stands. "What are you saying?"

.

She begins to cry.

.

He takes off for his bedroom and pulls out a small duffel bag from his closet, throwing a few items into it before zipping up and heading back to the living room.

.

"Please don't do this!" she begs.

.

"You know I have to," he spits angrily before turning to face her.

.

"No! We can call the police," she says.

.

"The police in Mexico aren't going to do shit," he assures her.

.

Jackie begins to breathe hard. "I told Eric everything last night. I'm sure he's notified somebody by now".

.

"You told Eric everything last night, did you? What about me? You didn't think I needed to know? She's my fucking sister, Jackie!" he shouts at her, causing her to cry harder.

.

"I didn't want you to do something like this" she twirls her finger, gesturing to the suitcase "when you couldn't even get out of bed".

.

"That's not really your decision, is it?" he counters snidely. "How could you keep something like this from me?"

.

"Steven, I love you. I love you, okay? I was scared. Finding you in a puddle of blood last night really, like, freaked me out, and the thought of you getting yourself hurt again or even...killed," she buries her face tightly in her hands. "I just can't lose you, okay? I just can't. You're all I have."

.

Hyde's anger thaws as he watches the woman he loves sob into her hands. If he ever had any lingering doubt that she loves him, that's pretty much gone now. He just didn't think anybody could ever love him this much- or even should. He knows for sure his mother would never cry over him like this. And Bud, who knows if he's ever cried once when he was sober?

.

He pulls Jackie into him and lets her cry on his chest. "It's okay baby, I know" he whispers. "I'd feel the same way if it were you".

.

She throws her arms around his neck and kisses him. "Please don't go".

.

"You know I have to" he says as he leaves her to get his passport from a cabinet drawer.

.

"Well I'm coming too, then" she informs him.

.

Hyde laughs. "You're not going".

.

"Oh I SO am!" she threatens. "I'm packed for it," she gestures to the overnight bag she left at his place. "I even have my passport. I've been keeping it on me because I was supposed to get a name change done and I haven't had the time".

.

"Jackie, this is too dangerous," he says, tension and worry starting to tug at his heart.

.

"Exactly why you need me. I know Fernando and I know Tampico," she says. "And what if my mom's there too?" she challenges.

.

"No" he dismisses her.

.

"I'm coming whether you want me to or not, so if you'd like to keep an eye on me, then I think we should go together" she says, holding her ground.

.

He stares at her for a long moment then drops his position. "Fine".

.

"You're not going to regret this" Jackie squeals as she pulls her necklace from the fridge and puts it in her pocket.

.

"I already do" he sighs then picks up her bag as they walk out the door.

.

* * *

.

Fez, Kelso and Eric wander into the lobby of Las Cinco Palmas Resort.

.

"This place is hella-swanky" Kelso says as they look around. "I like how Fernando rolls".

.

Fez shoots him a dirty look.

.

"He may be shady, but the dude has great taste. Brooke would love this," he waves his hand over the scene.

.

"Well, when we see Fernando, you can let him know how much you dig it," Eric says earnestly then rolls his eyes. "OR...here's a thought- we could just kick his ass instead!"

.

"Hello? We can't do both?" Kelso retorts.

.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Fez asks Eric.

.

"Jackie called Donna from the airport before they took off. This is where her mom usually stays" he assures them.

.

They approach the front desk and wait for the clerk.

.

Kelso muscles his way to the front of the pack. "Hola. I'm from the Point Place police department in America," he says. "We're looking for Fernando Rey. Is he staying here?" he asks.

.

The clerk looks amused. "We can't give out that kind of information Señor, for privacy reasons".

.

Flustered, Kelso slams his badge on the counter. "But look, I'm a police officer" he insists, "In America!"

.

"Even if you were a Tampico police officer, it wouldn't get you anywhere at this resort" he says.

.

Eric leans forward and whispers in Kelso's ear "I'm guessing the police are nefarious here".

.

"I don't care if they're angry Eric, I'm pretty nefurious too" he pouts.

.

Fez sighs and pushes past the guys up to the counter. He rambles in Spanish for a while to the clerk, then pulls out his wallet and peels off a few bills and places them on the counter. The clerk smirks at him. Fez says something in anger, then peels off a few more bills and pushes them towards the clerk.

.

The clerk writes something down on a slip of paper and slides it to Fez, who lifts it up and reads it before sticking it in his wallet. Fez then points at the clerk and says something threatening to him in Spanish, before turning his attention to the candy dish on the counter. He takes two handfuls of candy out of the dish and stuffs them into both side pockets of his linen pants. The clerk says something in Spanish to admonish him, but Fez shuts him down with another threat in Spanish, then walks over to his boys, who have been watching this exchange from a few feet away.

.

"He was very nice" Fez says smiling. "I got Fernando's room number and he told me we can have all the candies we can carry!"

.

"That was...awesome!" Eric screams under his breath, duly impressed.

.

Kelso pulls a candy out of Fez's pocket. "Alright! Grape!"

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Hyde hold hands and walk off the plane into the blue dusk light.

.

"I haven't been here in almost a decade" she says wide-eyed. "Bad memories".

.

"Why?" he asks.

.

"I was here in 1980, remember?" she asks him, knowing he'll understand why.

.

"Oh" he whispers softly, squeezing her hand gently to let her know he's with her now.

.

"My mom sure as hell likes it though," she smiles. "They have a swim up bar" she snorts.

.

* * *

.

Pam walks Angie to her room in the luxury cabana again. "I'm sure it'll be okay honey," she says sweetly, genuinely feeling bad for the girl. "You must be hungry, right? You barely touched your food by the pool".

.

"I wasn't hungry then, but I am now," she says.

.

"There should be some clothes in your room for tonight," she says. "Why don't you put them on and we'll come get you for dinner in an hour?"

.

Angie grabs Pam's arm. "Please don't leave me here," she begs, her breath speeding up.

.

"I'll just be down the hallway getting dressed myself" she says.

.

"Can I get dressed with you?" Angie presses.

.

Pam looks at her with weary eyes and gives her a sad smile. "I really wish you could, hun".

.

* * *

.

Hyde approaches the front desk at the hotel and places the bags at his feet.

.

"Buenos tardes. Can I help you Señor?"

.

"Yeah. We'd like a room" he requests.

.

"Do you have a reservation?" the clerk asks.

.

"I don't...maybe? Our friends checked in earlier," he says. "I'm Steven Hyde".

.

The clerk looks in his system. "Ah yes, Mr. and Mrs. Steven Hyde. I see your reservation here".

.

Hyde smirks at Jackie and she buries her red face into the side of his arm.

.

"The honeymoon suite" he says. "Felicidades Sr. y Sra." he nods his head to them and smiles grandly.

.

Hyde raises an eyebrow in Jackie's direction.

.

"I'm guessing this is Eric's work" she shrugs.

.

"You'll have access to the private pool and cabana area through a special elevator. It's very exclusive and very beautiful in that section of the building. Let me just make your keys for you. The machine is acting up a bit, so it may take a few extra minutes" the clerk informs them. "Please leave your passports on the desk and we'll return them to you when you check out".

.

Jackie and Hyde lay their passports on the desk. "I'm glad you never got around to changing yours," he says.

.

"Me too" she kisses his hand as she looks over the lobby.

.

The clerk pops their passports into a cubby hole corresponding to their room number and walks into the back room to retrieve the keys.

.

"Puddin'...do you think everybody's passport is in that wall?" she asks innocently.

.

Hyde grins and squeezes her hand lightly. "That's a very good question, doll" he says as he leaps over the counter and starts sifting through the passports.

.

"Check the suites first" she suggests. "Fernando would never stay in a regular room".

.

Hyde rolls his eyes as he looks at the passports in the suite cubbies. Quickly, he hops back over the counter with a passport in hand that he slips into Jackie's handbag.

.

"Your keys, Sra. Hyde" the clerk hands them both to Jackie.

.

"Muchos gracias," she smiles as they head towards the elevator banks.

.

"What did you find?" she whispers.

.

"Not now. In the room" he warns.

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Hyde find their suite and she opens the door.

.

"After you, Sra. Hyde" he jokes, holding the door for her.

.

Jackie looks sad, wishing it were actually true.

.

Hyde notices her mood shift and lifts her threshold style and carries her into the room.

.

"What are you doing?" she cries.

.

"Practicing. You want to get it right when we do it for real, right?" he admonishes her.

.

Jackie looks at him with hero-worship. "Thank you" she kisses him softly.

.

"Don't start that or we'll never get out of here," he jokes as he places her carefully down onto the bed.

.

Hyde grabs their bags from the hallway as Jackie pulls the passport he slipped into her handbag downstairs. She opens it, revealing a picture of Angie with the name "Anna Rey" stamped on it.

.

"How long does it take to get a fake passport made?" she wonders.

.

"Depends on how much money you have," he answers as he flops down next to her on the bed.

.

Jackie shows Hyde the open passport.

.

"Fuck!" Hyde yells angrily. "I only glanced quickly at the picture downstairs. I didn't realize it was a fake. Shit."

.

"No baby, this is good. It means we know she's here," she calms him.

.

He starts to stand up but she holds him down, onto the bed. "Get off of me, Jackie".

.

"No. I know you're pissed, but we have to do this smartly. Fernando obviously had a lot of time to plan this, so we should at least call the guys and do a little planning ourselves," she instructs.

.

He sighs and sinks into the mattress. "If we don't get her back, what do I say to W.B.?"

.

"Don't think like that. Besides being incredibly good-looking, we are both really smart too. We can do this," she insists.

.

Hyde gazes at his Sra. and wonders what he did to get so lucky. After all of the fuck-ups, slip-ups and running away, after all the times he insulted her or tried to push her out of his life, she's still here looking up at him with those eyes, alive with belief and adoration. He must've done something pretty freaking amazing in a past life, because it sure as hell wasn't in this one. He decides right then and there that he's going to start earning it all. He promises himself that there will come a day soon when even he believes he deserves her love. Until then, he's going to give her everything he has inside and stop worrying about what he doesn't.

.

Hyde leans up and brushes his lips gently against Jackie's, causing a shy smile to break out over her face. "Marry me".

.

She sighs. "You know I want to. I already feel like we're married in so many ways".

.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small black box. "Put it back on? Until we can?" he asks.

.

Jackie looks deeply into his eyes and nods. "I'd like that" she says as she takes the box in her hand and leans down, caressing his lips with her own. "But not yet" she hands it back. "Not until it's real."

.

* * *

.

Angie is finishes getting dressed for dinner. She wears a one-shoulder, tight navy column dress, with a pair of strappy, sky-high gold stilettos and matching gold chandelier earrings and gold cuff bracelets, no doubt to cover the residual marks left from the handcuffs.

.

She walks into the bathroom and picks up a bottle of perfume that has been left for her next to the open makeup bag containing Chanel that she just finished with. It's weird to be getting ready for a date with a date-rapist, she thinks to herself. She sprays herself twice with the perfume and then hears a sharp knock at the door.

.

Her stomach drops and her heart begins to race again. Something about the knock invokes a quiet panic inside of her. She knows intuitively that it's not Pam outside waiting for her. After all, Pam did say 'we', and she doesn't need to guess who the other half of we is.

.

Angie balls her hands into fists, strides bravely over to the door and opens it.

.

Leaning casually against the door frame is Fernando, dressed in a suit and as dashing as ever. Upon her appearance, the edges of his lips raise slyly as he brushes his fingers down his long neck, as if recalling the sensation of her touching him there.

.

"Buenos noches, mi amor" he oozes with a knowing anticipation as he extends his arm to her.

.

Angie takes a deep breath and with a shaky hand she takes his arm. "Let's go".

.

**A/N- Well? What do you think? Please leave a review and I'll give you a gratitude shout out!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Wheeeee! Here you go, this is the action chapter. Hope you like it and it was worth the wait. Sound off in the review section and let me know if it worked.**

**.**

**CHAPTER 24**

.

Fez, dressed in a suit and tie, stands nervously under the door frame of the terrace attached to his room. He's ready to go and has been for hours.

.

Eric, lying on a lounge chair, smoking a joint with his Isotoner glove covered hands, starts hysterically laughing.

.

"Why the hell are you laughing?" Fez asks angrily.

.

"I don't know. Donna says I handle stress poorly," he giggles, rolling around. "I'm just so happy I get to wear these gloves again. I've missed you gloves," he says as he snuggles them.

.

Fez storms onto the terrace and grabs the joint from Eric. "You've had enough, fool!"

.

"Hey!" Eric cries. "That was sneaky, and I know sneaky, because I am wearing my cat burglar gloves, and they are surprisingly comfy!" he cackles while holding up his hands for Fez to see.

.

Fez is about to launch it off the terrace but stops himself and takes a long drag first, then tosses it. "Where is the candy?"

.

Eric pulls off one of his gloves and turns it over, dumping candies out onto the terrace floor.

.

"Oh Eric, you bastard. This is serious," Fez says as he unwraps a candy. "Ooh, mojito-flavored" he says overly-excited.

.

Kelso slams the phone down in the other room. "Gnarly!" he hollers at the top of his lungs.

.

Fez leans his head inside. "What'd you find out?"

.

"I spoke with some of my former Chicago buddies down at the station, and as we speak, they are confiscating a giant shipment of wine that just came in from Fernando's vineyard. Turns out, in addition to shipping red and white, he also ships China White, if you catch my drift," Kelso gleefully spills.

.

"Who is China White? Is she a drag queen or something?" Fez asks.

.

"_That_ would be a little thing we cops like to refer to as cocaine," Kelso says, schooling his friend.

.

"I'm pretty sure cocaine isn't just a cop term, Kelso" Eric snarks.

.

"I'm pretty sure it is, Forman, so shut yer pie hole" he says. "Anyway, his ass is getting arrested as soon as he gets off the plane in Chicago, so adios Señor Dillhole!"

.

"That's great news" Fez says, relieved. "But we still have to get Angie back. In fact, I think I'm going to head down there now."

.

"Stick to the schedule Fez," warns Eric. "As a cat burglar, I can tell you from experience that timing is everything."

.

* * *

.

Jackie tries to do Hyde's tie up but is having trouble. "I don't know where this goes."

.

"It's okay. I know where it goes" he says as he whips the tie off of his neck and throws it off their balcony.

.

Jackie puts her hand on her hip angrily. "Steven! That was really expensive in the gift shop" she complains, her eyes flashing with anger.

.

"Well it sucked" he smiles smugly, almost as a challenge since he knows she won't be able to stay mad for long.

.

Jackie sighs. "I guess you still look pretty cute even without it" she says as she finishes buttoning his shirt and smooths down his collar.

.

"Cute?" he asks.

.

"Or...hot? You look very hot" she smoulders.

.

"You look hot" he answers back.

.

They make eye contact for a long moment and are suddenly enraptured. Hyde grabs her face with both hands and kisses her hard and deep. Jackie starts pulling his shirt out of his pants and unbuttons it.

.

"Wait!" she cries as she looks around for a clock. "How much time do we have?" she asks.

.

Hyde looks at his watch. "30 minutes".

.

They stare blankly at one another for a moment.

.

"I can work with that," he says as they resume their attack and continue tearing each other's clothes off.

.

* * *

.

30 minutes later, Angie sits at a dinner table in the grand dining room of the resort with Pam, Fernando, and Fernando's father, Paolo as her companions. Conversation is tense, and nobody seems to be speaking but Paolo and Pamela, whose melodic laughter echos throughout the dining room.

.

Angie sits silently, concentrating on eating her lobster while a mariachi bands attempts classic rock songs in the background.

.

Fernando leans over to her "You've barely touched your wine, amor."

.

Angie's eyes flick up to him with murderous intent. "The last time I got thirsty around you I woke up with no pubic hair and red welts on my ass, so forgive me for being a little over-cautious," she snaps.

.

Fernando pushes his beautiful fulls lips out in a perfect pout. "Angie darling, you were into it. Believe me, you wanted it. Nobody had to force you into doing anything."

.

"I think drugging somebody so you can take advantage of them is basically the textbook definition of force, asswipe," she fumes.

.

He makes a displeased clucking sound "That's no language for a lady," he admonishes her as he runs his thumb down the side of her jaw, making her skin crawl.

.

"If you don't get your scummy hands off of me, you're going to hear much worse in a minute," she threatens.

.

Fernando drops his hand and leans back in his chair. "I like feisty women" he smiles smugly. "It's not worth it if it's not a challenge, and you look really hot when you're angry."

.

Angie rolls her eyes as Fernando turns his attention towards Pam and Paolo.

.

She scans the room for a possible exit strategy until something catches her eye- a familiar figure at the edge of the room standing next to the giant planter.

.

Angie gasps as she realizes the man standing in front of her is Fez. A smile nearly overwhelms her until she forces it back down. They make eye contact and with a head nod, he wordlessly lets her know she's safe now and that he's come for her. She feels the corners of her lips pick up again and covers her mouth with a napkin so she can get her smile out undetected.

.

Fez places one finger to his lips to indicate she should be silent. She subtly nods and places her napkin in her lap, careful not to draw too much attention what she's seeing.

.

Suddenly and bizarrely, the mariachi band launches into the familiar guitar riff for Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love". A man with a giant sombrero reads the lyrics phonetically off of a sheet of notebook paper.

.

_**You need coolin', baby, I'm not foolin',  
I'm gonna send you back to schoolin',  
Way down inside honey, you need it,  
I'm gonna give you my love,  
I'm gonna give you my love. **_

.

Angie perks up and looks around. This can't be a coincidence.

.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a handsome young couple takes to the dance floor. Jackie, in a red low-cut, bubble-style mini-dress and her emerald earrings and (now semi-repaired) necklace twirls in a circle next to Hyde, in his white linen suit.

.

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love  
Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

.

Angie covers her mouth again with the napkin to hide her shock. Nobody else at her table seems to notice them.

.  
_**You've been learnin', baby, I've been yearnin',****  
****All them good times, baby, baby, I've been yearnin',****  
****Way, way down inside honey, you need it,****  
****I'm gonna give you my love... I'm gonna give you my love.**_

.

Hyde gives Jackie a look of approval. "Looks like somebody put in a song request," he grins.

.

"Well, you did agree to take me dancing tonight, it was the least I could do," she bats her eye lashes as he twirls her again.

.

* * *

.

Kelso and Eric, in his cat burglar outfit, sneak down the hallways of the exclusive part of the hotel.

.

"Turn left up there" Eric instructs.

.

"Up by the elevators?" Kelso asks in a low whisper.

.

"No, past the elevators there is another set of doors with a giant terra cotta vase next to them" he answers.

.

Kelso looks up at Eric strangely. "Forman, have you been here before?"

.

"I, um, hey, there's somebody coming, fall back" he whispers, happy for the disruption.

.

Both boys hide behind a corner under the cover of darkness.

.

* * *

.

Hyde grabs Jackie's hips and pulls her as tight to him as she can be with her belly in the way. "You're so fucking sexy in this dress" he breathes in her ear as her whole body tingles from his touch.

.

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love  
Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

**.**

They are dirty dancing now, trying to catch some attention from the other diners. Jackie notices Angie staring at them from the corner of her eye and she winks at her.

**.**

_**You've been coolin', baby, I've been droolin',****  
****All the good times I've been misusin',****  
****Way, way down inside, I'm gonna give you my love,****  
****I'm gonna give you every inch of my love,****  
****Gonna give you my love.**_

**.**

Jackie flips around and Hyde grabs her from behind, running his hands up the length of her body. She closes her eyes and raises her arms above her and snakes them around his neck. "I love you, baby" she whispers into his neck, filling him with warmth and confidence.

.

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love  
Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

**.**

Pam notices her daughter dancing and drops her fork loudly. "Jackie?"

**.  
_Way down inside... woman... You need... love._  
.**

Fernando spins around and sees the two of them. Irate, he leaps up from his seat.

**.  
_Shake for me, girl. I wanna be your backdoor man._  
_Keep it coolin', baby._**

**.**

Jackie and Hyde continue dancing as if oblivious.

.

"Showtime doll" Hyde whispers in her ear as he gently shoves her aside to receive Fernando before he attacks.

.

Just then, Fez taps Angie on the shoulder and extends his hand to her. She grabs it and runs off with him, undetected.

.

"Get your hand off my wife, trash!" Fernando yells as he throws the first punch, landing it in Hyde's shoulder.

.

Jackie runs to the table to check on her mom. "What are you doing here? Did they bring you here" she asks desperately.

.

Pam laughs nervously as she looks over at Paolo, who is enjoying the fight while calmly smoking a cigar.

.

The hotel staff attempts to break it up, but Paolo sends them all away with one wave of his hand.

.

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love  
Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

_**Wanna Whole Lotta Love**_

.

Hyde punches Fernando back, squarely in the nose with a crack. Fernando grabs his nose, which is now gushing blood. He pulls a silk handkerchief from his pocket and holds it there to catch the blood. He hauls back and slugs Hyde in the jaw, knocking him down. "You piece of shit. You're nothing!"

.

Jackie winces as she sees Hyde take the hit. He's still weak from the other night and she starts to worry.

.

Hyde jumps up again and returns the favor, clocking Fernando across his jaw hard.

.

Jackie turns back to her mother. "Well?"

.

Pam is utterly shocked at her daughter's appearance. "I'm here because...well, he said he'd kill you if I didn't stay," she says.

.

Jackie's eyes go wide. "He said the same thing to me about you!"

.

"She's too good for you. I'm doing that bitch a favor" Fernando says before he slugs Hyde in the stomach, his most tender spot from the other night, knocking the wind out of him and sending him reeling to the floor in agony.

.

"No!"Jackie screams. Now pissed, she stands up, grabs a champagne bottle and approaches Fernando with quivering hands.

.

Hyde shakes it off just in time to notice Jackie standing behind Fernando with the bottle raised high above his head. Hyde mouths the word 'no' in attempt to stop her.

.

Fernando notices Hyde's face and turns around, only to be greeted with a bottle cracking across his skull.

.

Pam screams in horror as Fernando hits the floor. Jackie stands over him, hands still quaking and ready to strike again. She breathes hard as she waits for signs of life. Once she's sure he's out cold, she drops the bottle at her feet and sinks to the ground in relief.

.

Hyde reaches over and pulls Jackie into his arms, holding her like a baby while she panics.

.

"Did I kill him?" she asks him. "I can't look".

.

Hyde peeks over and notices Fernando still breathing. "He's alive".

.

"Shit" Jackie swears, startling Hyde, who thought she'd be upset if he were dead.

.

"I want a fucking annulment!" Jackie screams as she pulls the emeralds from her neck and shoves them into Fernando's chest then starts sobbing in relief.

.

Hyde pulls her back, surprised by her vindictiveness. "Okay Dirty Harry, settle down".

.

Pam stands and then rushes to her daughter and smooths her hair back with her hand. "Is my baby okay?" she asks Hyde nervously.

.

Hyde nods. "She will be".

.

* * *

.

Fez and Angie riffle through the wall of passports until they find the ones that belong to their friends and take off running into the parking lot.

.

* * *

.

Kelso and Eric sneak into a hotel room and tear the room apart looking for something.

.

Eric pulls out all of the draws and dumps them on the bed, but doesn't find what he's looking for. He then moves on to the closet.

.

Kelso unloads the nightstand in the same fashion, but also come up empty-handed.  
.

"Nothing?" Eric asks.

.

Kelso shakes his head no. "If I were a day planner, where would I be?" he asks himself out loud.

.

He looks over the room intently, letting his senses guide him. Suddenly, his eyes are drawn to the mattress. "Aha" he says as he lifts up the mattress on the edge closest to him.

.

"YAHTZEE!" he screams at the top of his lungs as he grins proudly at Eric.

.

"Yay! Okay, let's get the fuck out of here before they have us turned into tacos," he pleads.

.

"Mmm tacos." Kelso muses to himself.

.

"Yeah, I'm suffering from the hard core munchies too. Let's book it and I'll buy you one on the way to the airport," he says as he pats Kelso on the back.

.

"I also want some of those grape candies Fez scored," he requests.

.

"We'll get you some on the way out junior" Eric promises as he pushes him towards the door.

.

* * *

.

Fez and Angie sit in the back row of a taxi van holding hands.

.

"Are you okay?" Fez asks her nervously.

.

Angie looks down at her feet. "Probably not. Not for a while at least," she says honestly.

.

"I'm so sorry" Fez sighs, not knowing what else to say. "If I had only been there..."

.

"You can't blame yourself Fez. Were you supposed to hold your pee for eternity on the off-chance that my brother's ex-girlfriend's insane husband would drug and kidnap me to Mexico? That's not exactly something you can plan for" she explains trying to comfort him.

.

"I would hold my pee for an eternity if it meant keeping you safe, Angie," he gives her his most serious look. "I...I care about you." He swallows hard as he goes out on a limb.

.

Angie smiles and takes Fez's face in her hands. "You came for me. That's, like, up there with Romeo and Juliet. You have scored major points with me, my friend."

.

"Friend?" Fez questions, disappointed.

.

"For now" she says as she kisses him gently on the lips.

.

* * *

.

Hyde and Jackie run towards the van trailed by Pam, who is lagging behind.

.

"Come on, mom!" Jackie prompts.

.

"But—what about my stuff?" Pam wails.

.

"You'll get new stuff," she assures her.

.

"But my designer shoes!" Pam cries.

.

"Screw the shoes, mom!" Jackie yells.

.

"Some of them are Gucci!" Pam pouts.

.

Pam shuffles over to the van like a petulant child.

.

"It's okay mom, this way you get to buy all new shoes. Those are all last season," Jackie soothes her mom as Hyde gives her a boost into the vehicle.

.

The three of them slide into the middle row of the van.

.

Hyde grabs Jackie's hand and gives her a small squeeze, his silent way of telling her he loves her. She squeezes back and then kisses him gently on his injured jaw. "You've taken a lot of punches for me this week, baby" she says, stroking his face.

.

Angie smiles. "I'm really happy to see you two back together."

.

"Me too" Pam says as she stares out of the window.

.

All eyes turn to focus on her.

.

"What?" she says defensively. "A girl can't change her mind?"

.

"Took you long enough" Jackie mumbles under her breath.

.

"I heard that Jacqueline. And you're right, it did. But you know, I actually learned something during my months of blackmailed captivity- I really _do_ care about your happiness, whomever it's with," she says sounding surprised with herself. Pam slides her arm around her daughter's waist. "Even if it's with that poor boy who used to break into our house" she adds with an expression like a bad aftertaste.

.

Kelso and Eric run screaming towards the van and drop candy everywhere as they pile into their seats quickly.

.

"Go! Go! Go!" Eric screams to the driver.

.

"Que?" the old Mexican man turns around.

.

"Shit. I slept through Spanish," Eric says panicked, looking at Hyde who just stares at him.

.

"Andele al aeroporto por favor! Arriba!" Kelso screams with flourish, prompting the driver to drive off quickly.

.

Everybody in the van is shocked.

.

"I used to load bags into cabs at the Holiday Inn" he shrugs.

.

**A/N - Was it exciting? Next up is the baby shower and Edna's reappearance (as well as another mystery guest) and then we careen towards the end of the story. PLEASE let me know what you thought of this chapter by reviewing and I'll try to update again quickly.**


	25. Chapter 25

**This chapter is rated M for sMut. (yay?) **

**.**

**To the anon who wanted to know if Eric and Jackie slept together on the show or just in this story- no they didn't. Just here. The show ended with Eric arriving just in time to kiss Donna at the new year. You can read the prequel to get my AU version "Everybody Must Get Stoned".**

**.**

**Just wanted to give a little shout out to some of the people who have PM'd me. DFT, GBlove, Topher girl and especially nannygirl and MistyMountainHop who are both amazing writers and have given me lots of great advice and support. Okay, I'll stop Ramblin' On.**

.

**CHAPTER 25**

.

On the airplane home, everybody is quiet. Angie is passed out on a sleeping Fez's chest while Kelso snoozes nearby.

.

Only Hyde and Eric are awake, and communicate as usual with their own unspoken language.

.

Hyde lifts his chin to say "What's up?" and Eric shrugs, flashing him his X-Men magazine, which makes his brother roll his eyes at him.

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"I don't know how Donna puts up with you, man" he whispers.

.

"Me either" Eric mouths, smiling, and then pops a candy from the hotel lobby in his mouth.

.

Hyde looks down at the woman passed out on his shoulder and sighs. He really didn't think they'd make their way back to each other this time, but here they are. After nurses and strippers, surgeons and wine barons and even cancer, they still managed to find each other again.

.

He tucks a stray hair behind her ear, and plants a gentle kiss on her temple. Hyde realizes at this moment that just watching his doll sleep peacefully on him, with his baby inside of her, he is the happiest he's ever been in his entire life. If only he could freeze time, just so he might enjoy it a little while longer before real life comes barreling in. Eric and his X-Men would appreciate that thought.

.

There's still an annulment to be filed, and therapy for his sister and of course his daughter still needs to get well before she arrives- something that's never far from the back of his mind. Staying right here in this moment for a few more days would be a dream.

.

Stirred by his kiss, Jackie starts showing some signs of life. "Are we there yet?" she asks groggily, still half-asleep.

.

"Nah baby, you should go back to sleep" he suggests as he strokes her hair to relax her. "You need your rest".

.

She burrows into his neck as she starts to rouse. "I don't need anymore sleep" she decides as she traces hearts on Hyde's chest with her finger.

.

He plants another kiss on his doll's head and pulls her closer to him.

.

"Don't worry" she mumbles into his neck. "I can tell when you're worrying about something because your jaw gets all tense." Jackie leaves a trail of lazy kisses across his face.

.

Hyde smiles, content with the knowledge that somebody in this universe knows him so well.

.

"You don't need to worry, because you have me and I'm tough" she whispers softly. "I'm your hero. I saved you" she brags in the sing-song voice she often reserves for the bedroom.

.

Hyde smiles. "You sure did".

.

"I'll always be your Scrappy Doo" she murmurs deliriously as she drifts back into sleep again.

.

He makes a promise to himself then and there to do whatever he has to do to protect this feeling, even if he's the one who he has to protect it from. There are demons as well as stubborn pride and insecurity lurking within his brain, but he'll do whatever it takes, because the alternative is not an option for him anymore. Living without Jackie is like living in a world without sun and he's done screwing things up. The kind of life he never thought he deserved is within his grasp and he'll be damned if he's going to let anything keep him from it.

.

* * *

.

At long term parking at the airport, everybody is breaking up into their separate cars to go home.

.

Jackie walks over to Angie and puts a hand on her arm. "Hey," she says nervously. "I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you in private before now, but I just want to...I have to tell you how sorry I am about-"

.

Angie throws her arms around Jackie and holds her tightly. "I know you probably blame yourself, but you shouldn't. It was nobody's fault but...but you know," she tapers off, unable to say Fernando's name out loud.

.

"But if I didn't bring him into our lives, if I hadn't married him, he'd never have followed you that night" she insists, still wracked with guilt.

.

Angie pulls back to look her in the eyes. "Jackie, you flew to Mexico to rescue me-at six months pregnant-and from what I hear, you probably lobotomized that jackoff with a champagne bottle, so we are more than even, sister" she assures her friend.

.

"I just wish everything could be like it was before" she pouts. "before I ruined everything".

.

"I'm not going to lie and say I'm not working through a lot of bogus crap right now, but I know I'll be okay. You and I, we are bad chicks. I don't want you to worry," she says, placing a hand on Jackie's belly as she catches Fez watching her from the corner of her eye. "I have a lot of good people around me".

.

"Princess?" Fez calls out.

.

Both Jackie and Angie turn around. "Oh, I think he means you, now" Jackie smiles, lightly shoving Angie in his direction.

.

Jackie slaps Fez playfully on the ass and then looks around for Hyde.

.

"Fez?" Angie starts. "Do you think you could...I just...I'm kind of freaked out being alone right now," she admits.

.

"Let's stop at my place first so I can pick up some clothes and some candy and I'll stay with you tonight," he offers.

.

"You mean it?" Angie exhales, instantly relieved.

.

Fez looks at her like she's crazy. "Of course, my Nubian princess. Did you really think I would say no? I had already planned on it anyway. I know you get jumpy when it's too quiet" he says. "Besides, it makes stalking you a lot easier," he jokes.

.

Angie gives him an uncomfortable look.

.

"Too soon?" he asks nervously.

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"Nah, I'm just messing with you." Angie melts as she looks at Fez with admiration. "You really are a wonderful friend, Fez".

.

"It's true. That's what everybody says." he says nodding. "Hey, do you have a Major Video card? I think we should rent something fun to distract you a little," he suggests.

.

"Ooh can we go out instead? I really want to see 'Coming to America' or 'The Naked Gun'" she says.

.

"Both of those movies sound like they were written about Fez" he jokes. "Seriously though, you really want to go out? You're not too tired?" he wonders.

.

"No. Well, I am, but I just want to get my mind off of things and I'm worried if I go home right away I'll just, like, totally stew or something," she tells him. "I'd rather be dog tired when we get back so I can just fall right to sleep without thinking about stuff. Are you okay with that?" she asks.

.

"Hello? Movie theaters sell candy. I'm in. Think you're up for a double feature?" he winks.

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Angie smiles at him and latches onto his arm. "Lead the way, Candyman".

.

* * *

.

Pam, Jackie and Hyde enter his apartment. Pam looks around, silently assessing the place. Jackie looks at her mom expectantly, bracing for the onslaught of passive-aggressive rude comments.

.

"I was expecting something akin to one of those little flats my hotel housekeepers rent in Tijuana during the off-months" she says. "This is at least two steps above that!" Pam says enthusiastically.

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"Wow. She managed to insult and compliment your apartment in the same sentence," Jackie mumbles under her breath to Hyde.

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Hyde smirks and grabs his girlfriend's hand, giving it a light squeeze.

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"The guest room is all set up mom already, mom. It's never even been used before, because Steven only just moved in." she says.

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"Oh" she says smiling "That explains a lot" Pam says waggling her finger at her daughter.

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Jackie walks over to the kitchen counter to get a drink. "Do you want anything to drink mom?" she asks just before realizing that Hyde had already cleaned out most of the booze from the house before they left for Mexico.

.

"Something with bubbles is always good. Do you have Bollinger?" she sings as she swans around the apartment, examining the place in more detail.

.

Jackie bends down to check the drink fridge and feels Hyde grasp her hips and firmly press up against her ass. She looks backwards at him and laughs "Do you mind?"

.

Hyde smirks. "I actually do mind, doll. I've been dreaming about bending you over this counter the whole way home and I can't wait anymore."

.

Jackie blushes. "Well stop! My mom will see us" she whispers nervously. "Jeez, Mexico really got you going, huh?"

.

"Jackieeeee! What thread count are these sheets? Are they cotton?" she yells from the other room.

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"I really don't know, mom, sorry!" she yells back.

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"I'm pretty sure she's already figured out we've had sex" he jokes, rubbing her belly from behind with one of his hands.

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"That's not the point, baby" she says as she continues to look for alcohol.

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Hyde takes one of his hands and slides it up the back up Jackie's skirt, pulls her underwear aside and sinks two fingers directly into her without warning.

.

Jackie gasps loudly.

.

"Did you find anything yet?" Pam calls from across the room where she's checking out the view from the bay windows.

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"Not...not yet" Jackie pants as Hyde begins moving his fingers back and forth.

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"I found something" Hyde growls softly in her ear as he pumps his fingers in and out of her at a steady pace, stroking her G-spot expertly.

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Jackie backs herself into him, desperate for more friction. "Oh, fuck you puddin' pop. You're evil" she says as her breath hitches.

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"This is not news" he breathes hotly on her back, sending chills up and down her spine. Hyde then pulls her hair aside and begins sucking and kissing the side of her neck in the spot she likes best.

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Jackie groans. "You are such an asshole" she pants as he grinds harder against her back.

.

He rubs her nipples through her linen shirt and his mouth is still staging a sensory assault all over her neck. He's relentless as he brings her closer to climax.

.

"I'm still looking, mom!" she screams, mainly as a vehicle to let out some of her building tension.

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"I want to feel you cum in my hand" he whispers in her ear, biting her earlobe roughly, which sends her over the edge, her insides exploding all around her until she's left quivering.

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Hyde removes his hand from her panties and puts one of his fingers in his mouth, then pulls it out slowly for her to watch. "Just a taste of what I'm gonna do to you later" he brags as he reaches above her, pressing his erection into her once again, while he retrieves a bottle of Veuve Clicquot from the cabinet above her and places it on the counter in front of her.

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Jackie's mouth falls open and she narrows her eyes angrily. "That was there the whole time and you knew it?"

.

Hyde grins, grabs a highball glass and the ice bucket and positions them strategically in front of his obvious arousal.

.

"Oh let me do that" Jackie snaps. "You're likely to poke her eye out with that thing" she says as she leaves the kitchen holding the items. "Found some champagne mom, but you're going to have to give it a chance to cool down a bit".

.

Pam saunters over to meet her daughter by the couch. "Oh I don't mind that honey, It's so hot in Mexico all the time that I'm used to drinking things slightly warm" she says liltingly, then frowns. "You're not joining me? I hate drinking alone." she complains.

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"Mom, I'm in the second trimester of my pregnancy" she informs her.

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"That never stopped me" Pam smiles as she pinches Jackie's cheek lightly. "Oh hey, are you flushed? You finally have a little color in your cheeks" she coos proudly. "You were looking so pasty before" she frowns.

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"Well, feel free to make yourself at home. I think we're going to head to bed now. You know, between the baby and the whole physical altercation in Mexico, we're kind of beat," Jackie says, gazing at Steven.

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Hyde, looking back at her, wets his lips.

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"Well, alright darling. I'll see you two lovebirds in the morning." she blows her daughter an air kiss from two feet away in lieu of touching her. "You look like you could use the rest" she says motioning to Jackie's under eye bags as she settles on the couch with the bottle of bubbly.

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Jackie sarcastically blows a kiss back to Pam, but the angry message is lost.

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Hyde places his hands on Jackie's shoulders and guides her to the door of the bedroom.

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"Wait. Can we take a bath?" she asks, looking up at Hyde with wet eyes.

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Hyde bends down and kisses the top of her head. "Come on" he says as he changes their course.

.

* * *

.

Jackie pouts angrily as she sits between Hyde's legs in the bathtub while he finishes washing her hair for her.

.

"What thread count are these sheets? Why won't you get drunk with me while you're pregnant? You look pale!" Jackie rants, mocking Pam's incessant and rude questioning. "Funny how she knows a lot about everything except for how to get a freaking JOB!"

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"Why do you let it get to you, doll? You know what she's like" he says.

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"It doesn't stop me from hoping she'll change one day" she says.

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"Why do you set yourself up like that, chasing a lost cause?" he wonders.

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"If I didn't chase after lost causes, I wouldn't be Jackie Burkhart. It's who I am." she says. "Besides, it did pan out for me one time," she turns around slightly and looks at him through the corner of her eye.

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Hyde shrugs. "I guess you're right. Maybe she will change one day" he offers. "Though she definitely won't" he says under his breath.

.

Hyde gasps suddenly. "Okay, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Let go!"

.

Jackie brings her hands above the water and crosses them over her chest.

.

"Damn girl, you hit one guy over the head with a bottle and now I'm sleeping with Foxxy Brown" he complains.

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"Didn't you and Michael used to have a crush on Foxxy Brown?" she asks.

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Hyde smiles "Still do".

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Jackie uncrosses her arms and angrily puts them underwater again.

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"No baby! She's ugly. Disgusting. Doesn't hold a candle to you, doll" he insists fearfully.

.

"That's better-even though I know you're lying. It's the thought that counts." she says, leaning back to kiss him upside down. "Sorry, I'm so hormonal".

.

"I think these pregnancy hormones are going to kill me faster than the cancer would have" he jokes.

.

Jackie looks stricken and turns to face him. "That's not funny at all. Don't joke about that," she says tearfully. "I almost lost you and it's NOT funny" she places her wet, pruny hands over her mouth to stop herself from crying.

.

Hyde's stomach falls as he curses his inability to ever say the right thing at the right time. "Baby, I'm sorry," he whispers, stroking her wet hair out of her face. "It was a stupid thing to joke about," he admits.

.

"It was" she growls angrily into her hands.

.

"When we were on the plane today I just, I couldn't help but think that this is the happiest I'll ever be, and it's so much more than I ever thought I'd ever have," he says, allowing himself to be vulnerable in front of her.

.

"When I think about the lymphoma, I realize how lucky I am and how every day we have together is precious. I know it sometimes seems like I don't care about the things that bother you, but it's not true-well usually it's not true. I guess I just don't want to waste one day not feeling just like this." Hyde runs his hands down the sides of her cheeks and cups her face. "Nothing could ever make me leave you and our girl. Not even cancer," he promises as he kisses her gently.

.

"Nothing?" she asks meaningfully.

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"Nothing" he confirms, kissing her again.

.

Jackie takes a deep breath. "What if I did something really bad a long time ago?" she asks, not able to look up at him.

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Hyde's insides turn cold as an invisible 50lb weight is thrown on his chest, restricting his breathing.

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"Don't tell me" he says flatly.

.

"I have to" she says. "How can I marry you when I'm carrying around a secret like this?"

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"Dammit Jackie! I said I don't wanna know!" he yells at her, causing her to cower from the force of his voice.

.

Hyde notices her flinch and is shocked out of his anger. "I'm sorry-" he fumbles. "I didn't mean to scare you. Please look at me" he pleads.

.

Jackie tilts her head up and starts to speak, both emotionless and full of feeling at the same time. "I'm getting this off my chest whether you want to hear it or not. As I'm sure you're aware, New Year's 1980 was one of the worst days of my life. You and I had that huge blow out fight and I was alone and sad and had nobody to turn to since my best friend treated me worse than an enemy and I broke my roommate's heart." she explains. "I was scared and desperate and there was only one person who still treated me like I was worth something, like I wasn't The Pariah of Point Place," she speaks quickly, barely coming up for air. "He was kind to me when nobody else was and he was in pain too, and we...we helped each other through it," she recounts, tears streaming down her face.

.

Hyde shakes his head, fearful of where this is going. "Don't say it" he warns her. "If you don't say it then we can just pretend it didn't happen. If you say it, I'll never be able to look at you the same way again."

.

"I'm sorry Steven, I have to. Nobody cheated on anybody. It wasn't sordid, it was just...what it was. We spent some time in Mexico together, at the same hotel we were just at" she continues. "And as soon as it started it finished. Neither of us has ever told anybody about it, until now I guess."

.

Hyde winces, trying to control his rage. "Why are you doing this, Jackie?" he asks, fighting back tears.

.

"I don't want to lie to you for the next 50 years. I want you to know everything about me and still love me the way that I love you" she cries. "I have seen all of your warts and I'm still here. How come you get to fuck up over and over again and I have to be perfect? It isn't fair. Don't I deserve the same courtesy that I give you?" she asks.

.

"Yes, but..." Feeling nauseated by his suspicion, Hyde tips his head down and places his hands over his ears. "...he's the only family I have, Jackie" he says simply. "Please don't ruin that for me. Please." he begs.

.

"I'm your family!" she screams at him angrily as she pulls his hands down from his ears. "When are you going to get that through your thick skull?"

.

Hyde takes a deep breath and steels himself for the worst. "Did you—did you love him?"

.

Jackie wipes the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and smiles. "Of course not. I've never loved anybody except for you and I never will".

.

"Did he love you?" he asks.

.

Jackie laughs. "He hates me, you know that. A fling in Tampico isn't going to change years of loathing".

.

"He doesn't hate you and you know it." Hyde falls silent, trying to process the information.

.

"You knew from the start that I was talking about Eric." she says.

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He takes a deep breath. "I knew he went with you to Mexico. If anybody was going to look after you when nobody else did, it would be him. That's what he does," he nods as he stands up from the tub, grabs a towel and leaves the bathroom.

.

**A/N- Heavy drama! Hope that reveal turned out the way you wanted it to. Let me know in the reviews section-anons invited!**


	26. Chapter 26

**This chapter is rated M-lite for slight smut. Not as graphic as the last chapter, but if you find that kind of stuff uncomfortable, you may want to skip over the J/H and D/E (implied) dirtiness.**

**.**

**Thanks to Tangerine for the great review-I'm totally flattered! Also, love your J/H rated M one shot. Very hot.**

**.**

**CHAPTER 26**

.

Jackie sneaks out into the hallway to get the phone in the kitchen, hoping Pam won't see her. Much to her luck (as well as her dismay), Pam is passed out on the couch, with her glass half hanging out of her hand.

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She tiptoes past her wasted mother and silently removes the cordless phone from the receiver then slides to the floor with her back against the kitchen cabinet to keep out of eyesight.

.

She dials a number and waits for the phone to pick up.

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After a few rings, an exhausted Eric picks up the phone. "Hello?"

.

"Eric?" Jackie whispers.

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"What's up Jackie? Nothing new happened with Fernando right?" he asks with concern.

.

"No nothing like that" she says.

.

"Then why are you calling me at 2am? You're not in early labor?" he wonders, not sure yet if he should be irritated or alarmed by this intrusion.

.

"Um...remember that anvil that was hanging over Wile E. Coyote's head by a fine thread? Well, that string just snapped and it's is about to come crashing down" she says in hushed words. "We always promised we'd call each other if it happened, so, yeah".

.

There is a long silence.

.

"Eric? Are you still there?" she asks.

.

"How much does he know?" he asks numbly.

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"Basically everything" she answers.

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"You and your big fucking mouth" he complains bitterly under his breath.

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"I needed to be honest with him. Maybe he won't say anything to Donna" she offers.

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Eric rolls his eyes and nervously starts twisting his wedding band. "I'd say the likelihood of that is nil".

.

Jackie's stomach bunches as she waits for Eric wrath. "I'm sorry Eric. I'm really really sorry" she asserts.

.

"No you're not, you're just selfish. Nothing new there," he says, resting his head in his hand. "Did you ever think about what this could do to your Godson? Was possibly ruining Luke's life worth having a clean conscience?" he says tightly through clenched teeth.

.

"I-I guess I didn't think—" Jackie stammers.

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"No, you didn't. You never do." he barks before hanging up the phone on her.

.

Jackie looks at the phone in shock and stifles a sob with the back of her hand. She hadn't considered Luke. Maybe she truly is as selfish as everybody always says she is. Steven begged her not to tell him, Donna sure as hell won't benefit from this knowledge and Eric now hates her for life.

.

She slowly rises up and places the receiver back on to the base. At that moment it hits her that she may have wrecked the lives of seven people. It's not the fling that's so bad, but the awareness of it that is so destructive. It was like a time bomb waiting to go off for nearly a decade, and the longer it took the more carnage would ensue.

.

What the fuck was she thinking and why? Scratch that, she knows exactly why.

.

* * *

.

Jackie skulks outside of the bedroom door, unsure of whether or not she's still welcome there.

.

"Just get in here already" Hyde mumbles from the pages of Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil".

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She inches her way in and slides into the bed next to him.

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"I didn't know if you'd want me to leave or not" she tells him.

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"It was eight years ago and we weren't even together at the time" he says. "What's the point of being pissed off with you now? I was an asshole to you, so I can understand why you might have done it".

.

Hyde licks his thumb and turns the page of his book.

.

She is stunned. "Wait a minute. You're not mad at me?"

.

He puts the book face down on the headboard and flips on his side to face her. "I figure I have two choices here, right? I can stay mad and ruin everything we have together or I can get over it. Getting over it requires a lot less effort than destroying shit, and you know how lazy I am...".

.

"Brooke said almost the exact same thing to me after Michaelgate last year," she gasps. "Minus the lazy thing".

.

"Yeah? I'm not surprised she said that. She probably has to make that choice daily being married to Kelso" he snarks.

.

Jackie inches closer to her boyfriend. "But you seemed so upset" she muses. "I called Eric right before I came in here."

.

Hyde bristles at the mention of his name.

.

"He made me realize how selfish I was being by telling you, and he's right. I put everybody's family at risk and for what? I'm a horrible, selfish person" she says miserably. "I don't know what came over me."

.

He pulls her into his arms and tenderly holds her head on his chest. "You wanted to know if I was going to leave you again. I guess this was the only way you thought you'd know for sure."

.

Jackie looks up at him. "Yeah, I kind of I realized that myself immediately after I got off the phone with him". She picks up his right hand and runs her fingers over his bruised knuckles. "Guess I'm more insecure than I thought I was." She brings his bruised hand up to her plush lips and presses gently.

.

Hyde rests his cheek on the top of her head. "Well, ditto. I'm not happy that I know, but I am happy that you told me and I didn't have to discover it some other way. I've been told by some that I can be a little, um, paranoid. I should probably stick a fork in that, at least where you're concerned."

.

"Yeah. Believe me, there are no secrets left. I completely blew my wad with this one." she jokes.

.

He smirks. "You are a dirty girl."

.

"It's true" she agrees and smiles softly to herself.

.

"No more testing me, okay? I couldn't leave you now if I wanted to, and believe me, there are times when I'm tempted" he warns.

.

"You love me" she teases. "It's sooo obvious," she sighs loudly, trying to goad him.

.

"You haven't seen obvious" he threatens seductively as both of his hands rise from her tummy to her breasts.

.

Jackie's face lights up. "And here I was worried that you didn't 'get' me", she laughs. "You always did know exactly how to cheer me up".

.

Hyde sits up a little bit and levels his gaze. "Look, that drunk passed out in the other room may have bailed on you, but I'm not going anywhere. I promised you nothing could make me leave you and I meant it. Nothing." he asserts passionately. "So stop fucking trying so hard to make it happen, alright?" He leans down and kisses her, while still cupping her breasts.

.

Jackie wraps her arms around Steven's neck and pulls him closer towards her. Her warm kisses start slowly and softly at first, then deepen quickly as she takes his bottom lip into her mouth and flips around to face him.

.

"I can't wait until we're married and we can really be a family. I mean, we're already a family, but one that-I just can't believe I actually want to get married again at all. You could barely convince me the first time" she rambles whiles climbing to straddle his lap.

.

Hyde pulls her tank top off, leaving her completely bare on top. He takes a moment to admire her body. "You look so hot pregnant".

.

Mentioning the pregnancy only reminds her that she's about to be a parent, which it turn reminds her of that bitch sleeping on the couch who discarded her like an old beer can without a 2nd thought when she was younger. "What if we do it wrong? What if we're terrible parents?" she worries.

.

"We won't be like them. We'll make each other miserable in much more tolerable and less destructive ways" he promises as he runs both of his hands hungrily down the front of her body.

.

"This is really happening, huh?" she asks.

.

"No going back now, baby" he says as he grabs her ass and pulls her against his body.

.

"We're really lucky, you know" she says as he takes one of her nipples into his mouth and the other in his hand, making them both erect.

.

"Well, I'm _trying_ to get lucky, but somebody won't shut their trap" he mumbles impatiently into her chest.

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"Steeeven" she pouts.

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He runs his hands through her hair and brings her face close to his, looking deeply into her eyes. "I love you, okay? Now can it. I'm trying to work here" he scolds her as he dives into her neck, sending her reeling.

.

* * *

.

Angie wakes up in her bed and looks over at Fez, sound asleep on her nearby sofa. She sneaks into the kitchen and pulls out a dinner tray and a griddle.

.

The last few days have been some of the worst in her life, but this morning she magically feels okay, happy even, and she knows it's entirely because of the lump sleeping under her duvet on the couch. For some reason, it's impossible for her to be sad when she's around him. He really knows how to squeeze everything he can out of life and appreciate every drop. How can anybody be depressed when they're near somebody who is so happy all of the time?

.

Sure, he's goofy, and a little – okay a lot– perverted , but underneath it all, she kind of likes it. She can relax around Fez, and he doesn't make fun of her when she does or says something awkward, which happens a lot more than people would think. He also doesn't seem to notice what a big dork she really is-or perhaps he does and actually likes it?

.

If she had to pick one thing she likes best about Fez it would be his kindness. And his amazing dancing skills. And that fine ass that looks ridiculously hot in tight jeans. Who is she kidding, she can't pick just one when there are so many to choose from.

.

Quietly, Angie toils away making a huge breakfast spread for her special guest. She finishes juicing an orange just as the lump starts to shift under the covers.

.

Excitedly, Angie arranges the tray and carefully carries it over to the couch. "Good morning Fez" she says sweetly as his brown mop peeks out from under the duvet.

.

"I'm boiling a roast. How hot and wet do you like it?" she says seductively, quoting 'The Naked Gun'.

.

"Very hot, and awfully wet" Fez says as Frank Drebin, understanding her reference.

.

They both giggle, remembering the film. "We could go again tonight if you want to see it a second time," he offers.

.

He emerges from the blanket to discover her holding a silver-lidded breakfast tray.

.

Fez's eyes get huge. "Oooh I smell pancakes!" he claps his hands as she brings the tray to his lap.

.

"You're not eating?" he asks, concerned.

.

"I only had enough time to make yours so far" she says.

.

"Angie, in my country you don't ever eat breakfast alone" he says.

.

"Really? Is that some sort of custom?" she wonders.

.

"No, we're just all very sexy, so we never wake up alone" he winks at her. "Come on. Let's have a picnic" he demands as he places the tray on the floor.

.

Angie kneels down and raises the lid off of the plate, revealing pancakes with nonpareils for eyes, a Hershey's kiss for a nose and orange M&Ms for a mouth. On top, is a thick mop of rope licorice for hair.

.

"Did you read my diary, princess?" Fez asks her suspiciously.

.

"No, you dweeb!" she laughs.

.

"This is...MAGNIFICENT!" he yells theatrically, tears nearly welling in his eyes.

.

Angie feels her chest get warm with pride. "I'm really glad you like it" she beams.

.

"Like it? Baby, they're going to need to invent a whole other word to describe how I feel about this" he half-jokes. "I may not ever leave".

.

Fez peers into the plate and looks suspiciously at the topping of licorice hair. He pulls one off and takes a bite. "It's chocolate" he says, with a mixture of relief and euphoria. "I thought it was black licorice" he explains, nearly gagging on the words.

.

"Hell no!" Angie screams. "That stuff is disgusting. Only chocolate licorice for this chocolate man," she says jokingly.

.

Fez has stars in his eyes as he gums the sweet rope. He was wrong! Angie doesn't look upon him like he's that revolting black licorice nub left at the bottom of a Halloween candy bag. To her, he is chocolate rope licorice fashioned into hair on a pancake! This is a sign, he thinks. He suspected it before, but now he knows it now. She. Is. The. One.

.

* * *

.

Donna laughs hysterically as Eric, wearing formal tails, waits on her and Luke hand and foot.

.

"Your Daddy is such a spaz" she confides to her son.

.

"Your eggs, m'lady, scrambled for her pleasure" he lays the plate down in front of her and waggles his eyebrows.

.

"Why thank you, kind sir" she responds, bowing her head, playing along.

.

"And for the young master, a meal of hearty oats" he bows as he places a bowl of oatmeal in front of Luke.

.

"Teetoo" Luke says while clapping, thanking his dad in toddler language. "Silly daddy".

.

"Honey, I can't believe you're doing all of this. You just got off a plane from Mexico. Fighting kidnappers and drug dealers! And..." she puts her hand up near her mouth to secret her words from Luke "This is getting me really friggin' hot, so cook quickly!"

.

"Sorry. If you want to break off a piece of this" he gestures to his body, "You're going to have to break off a piece of that first," he points to her breakfast and smirks. "I know you don't eat well when you have to take care of Luke by yourself," He leans over and kisses her.

.

"I like this new, take charge machismo you've brought back with you from Mexico. Did I mention it's getting me hot?" she purses her lips.

.

"Well you know, the life of a cat burglar can be fraught with danger..." he brags.

.

"Oh, that reminds me Eric, your mom asked me to remind you to bring her gloves back with you next time we go home," she recalls.

.

"Nope. She's going to have to pry them off my cold, dead hands." he threatens seriously, much to Donna's amusement. "What? They're comfy" he shrugs.

.

"I'm thinking-if you put Luke in the playpen and turn an episode of Thomas on the T.V., I may let you keep them on during" she says, batting her eyes.

.

"During what?" Eric asks clueless. "Ohhhhhhh" he smiles wide, suddenly getting it. "Eat up, Donna, I'm going to warm up the old VCR" he says as he leaves the kitchen for the living room.

.

* * *

.

Hyde makes breakfast in the kitchen for Pam and Jackie.

.

"Wow, Steven. I had no idea you knew your way around a kitchen. This reminds me of one of those four star hotels somewhere far away and exotic, like Ethiopia or rural Bangladesh," she purrs.

.

"Oh give it up, mom!" Jackie snaps.

.

"Jeez, somebody is hormonal this morning. It reminds me of the first time Jackie got her period" she whispers loudly to Steven, much to Jackie's obvious distress.

.

"I would love to hear more about it, Pam" he smirks, egging her on.

.

Jackie gives Hyde a dead-eyed stare and he drops the act. "On second thought, why don't we talk about the schedule this morning? Are you coming with us to the OB appointment?"

.

"You know I was planning on it, but then I read that Marshall Field's is having a major sale this week" she says in a faux sorry voice. "I haven't done any shopping in America in six whole months!"

.

Hyde looks at her like she's crazy. "Well, I can certainly understand why a clothing sale might come before seeing your first grandchild on a sonogram".

.

"Ooooh. That reminds me, I'd really like her to call me Pam, actually" she requests.

.

"You want your granddaughter to call you Pam?" Jackie asks with disgust.

.

"Do I look old enough to be a grandma to you?" she asks nobody in particular while laughing self-consciously .

.

Sensing Jackie is about to blow, he jumps in quickly. "Wow, I think we're already running late." He lifts Jackie off of her chair and grabs her handbag from the kitchen counter in one fell swoop. "There's a spare key next to the phone and you can help yourself to anything in the house".

.

"Thanks Steven" she coos. "Oh Jacqueline dear, don't forget to ask your doctor about all of that excess bloating you have. It could be your blood pressure. I'm concerned" she pouts her bottom lip out like her daughter does.

.

Jackie's hands ball into fists as Hyde bustles her out of the front door in lightening speed. "Pam, it's a pleasure, as always" he says as he pops his head in the door one last time before slamming it shut.

.

* * *

.

Donna is sitting in bed with her eyes closed and a huge smile one her face.

.

A minute later, Eric emerges from under the sheets, desperate for some air. "It's was getting a little hot under there" he says running his hand up her thigh.

.

"That was pretty awesome, Mr. Forman" she says, licking her lips. "Good job!" she commends as she slaps him on the side of the arm.

.

"Oh, you like?" he asks, one gloved hand emerging to brush imaginary dust off his imaginary lapel.

.

Donna's face falls. "About the gloves" she squints. "I'm thinking no" she tells him.

.

"No?" Eric's face is stricken.

.

"Eric, they're your mother's gloves. I don't want to think about Kitty when you're—down there. Also, I feel like I'm being felt up by cookie monster," she elaborates.

.

"I think this might be a deal breaker for me Donna" he informs her.

.

"What? I either deal with the gloves or you dump me? Is that what you're saying" she asks, highly amused.

.

He thinks for a minute. "Yeah. That's what I'm saying" he decides.

.

Donna drops one strap of her nightie down, partially exposing one of her breasts. "Oops!" she covers her mouth. "Mind getting that for me?" she asks deviously.

.

Eric reaches out to fix the strap and she slaps his hand. "Not with the glove on".

.

He pulls it off and points to her "You, lady, play very dirty".

.

"Take off the other glove and I'll show you" she grins.

.

* * *

.

Hyde and Jackie sit in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Per her ritual, Jackie gathers her hair into a rubberband to get it out of the way. Hyde looks longingly at her elegant neck and smiles.

.

She feels him watching her and turns her head. "What?"

.

"That first time we were here together, I wanted to kiss you right there so badly," he says, tapping her gently on the crook of her neck. "It was driving me crazy".

.

Jackie smiles, leans her head far back and bats her eyes at him.

.

He moves in slowly and presses his lips into her warm, velvet skin, inhaling her natural scent deeply. When he pulls back, he finds her blushing. He's amazed and grateful he can still have that affect on her. He rests his hands on Jackie's belly and gives her a light rub. "You were right last night".

.

"I know. What about?" she asks.

.

"How do you know you're right if you don't even know what I'm talking about?" he asks incredulously.

.

She cocks her head to the side and raises her eyebrows with a wry smile.

.

He laughs to himself. "Got it. Well, what I meant to say was that you were right about us being family. We don't need a piece of paper for that. You and this little monkey are my family. My only family now," he says, nearly swallowing up the last sentence.

.

"Steven..." Jackie frets, worried that he's still angry.

.

He takes her hand in his. "No doll, I meant it when I said I'm not mad at you. I wasn't a good boyfriend those last few months and I was a terrible human being to you after that. It makes sense that you chose the one person to sleep with who you knew would hurt me the most."

.

"That is not how it happened at all. I wasn't trying to hurt you, baby, I was lonely and nobody else understood what I was going through" she says. "I'm not a vindictive person".

.

"I know, you're right, you're not vindictive, but I am. And that's exactly what I would have done to punish you if I'd thought of it first." he admits. "But I never did anything to Eric that would excuse him dogging me out like this," he asserts.

.

"You secretly dated me after Michael and I broke up and he forgave you" she pipes in. "Isn't that kind of the same thing?"

.

"That was different. That was Kelso. He's my good friend, not my brother, and you and he weren't anything close to being like you and me," he says, shaking his head.

.

Jackie nods. "I can see that, but it was a crazy time for all of us. I know Eric didn't mean to hurt you, he just wasn't thinking clearly and -" she says, trying to defend her friend.

.

"There is nothing that will make this okay for me. He knew how I felt about you, even after we broke up. He _knew_. He could have said something to me, he could have tried to snap me out it or help us find our way back to each other. He knew that we still loved each other and he fucked you anyway! There are billions of people out there and my brother fucks the only woman I ever loved. I will never get over that, Jackie, so stop asking me to" he snaps.

.

Jackie folds herself into his arms and holds him for a while until she feels him start to relax. "Puddin' you're tired. I'm not trying to trivialize how you feel, I swear, but maybe after you have a good night's sleep and you're not in so much pain physically, you'll feel differently".

.

"Jackie, I won't" he insists, shutting her down.

.

"Listen Steven, Eric Forman saved your life when you were a kid and he didn't ask for one thing in return. People make mistakes and you can't go cutting everybody off who lets you down or you'll die alone. All people will disappoint you at some point in time, so you just need to get over it like a big boy and concentrate on the good stuff in life. Like this baby" she pouts, rubbing her belly.

.

Hyde absorbs the sentiment, but can't bring himself to follow her advice, even though every bone in his body wants to. Maybe he's not enlightened enough or perhaps he's too immature to internalize the message properly, but regardless of the reason, he just can't go there. Not when Forman broke one of the very few rules he believes in. You don't screw your best mate's girl, and Jackie was his girl, regardless of whether or not they were still together. In a million years he wouldn't fuck Donna. The minute Forman got together with her she was off-limits and has been ever since. As long as you love a girl, in your buddy's mind she should belong to you, whether she actually does or not.

.

Every time he pictures Forman's goofy face now, he has flashes of him sticking it to Jackie hard against a wall or gently on a beach in Tampico, and he starts to feel ill. He imagines his hands all over her body, his mouth and tongue everywhere that he's been before and since, exploring all of her special places.

.

How can he ever look at Eric again knowing he's heard Jackie's intimate noises and the way she whimpers after she cums? Did she make the same sounds with him? He's not even sure whether it would make him feel better if she didn't. Nothing feels private or his anymore and he feels violated, like the victim of a mugging.

.

Hyde places his hand over Jackie's and focuses on her blue-green eyes, open pools of color that wash over and comfort him when he needs a fix. He knows those eyes never looked at Eric they way they look at him. His gaze falls to her lips, soft rosebuds that he's kissed over a thousand times until they've been bruised and swollen. Before he kissed her, it was like he had never been kissed before, because everything felt so different and full with her. There's no way in hell it was like that for them too.

.

Hyde's eyes slide down to Jackie's growing belly and he smiles. This is something Eric's never done with her. He's never lived inside of her, been a part of her DNA. This is something that belongs to him alone and it always will. Content with that knowledge, he takes his doll's hand in his and squeezes his silent message of love to her.

.

**A/N - Ah romance! Hyde came through, right? Too bad Eric's not going to be as lucky in the next chapter. Please let me know what you think. Sound off in the reviews section!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hi. I know some of you are getting antsy about the updates. I am doing my best to finish both this and 20 Questions for you all as fast as my little carpal tunnel hands can type. **

**.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**.**

**CHAPTER 27**

.

Jackie and Hyde continue their long stint in the waiting room of the OBGYN.

.

"What is taking him so long? Jackie complains to the woman at the front desk. "We've been waiting over an hour."

.

"One of the doctor's patients had an emergency so he had to squeeze her in" she explains.

.

"Oh. Nothing serious I hope" she says.

.

"Just some preterm labor. It's pretty common and usually treatable if the medicine works and the mom can take it easy" the receptionist explains.

.

Jackie looks pale at the thought.

.

"Don't worry Mrs. Rey. The odds are strongly in your favor that nothing will go wrong" she says.

.

Jackie feels Hyde tense up next to her at the mention of her married name.

.

"Um, actually, I don't go by Rey anymore" she tells her. "It's Burkhart. That's my maiden name."

.

The lady looks sad. "Oh, I'm sorry. You two looked so happy" she remarks, gesturing to Jackie and Hyde.

.

She laughs. "We are happy" she explains, "but this isn't Mr. Rey".

.

The receptionist looks confused and picks up her file. "Ms. Burkhart, the file here says 'Baby Hyde'?" she mentions, trying to confirm that she has the correct information.

.

"I'm Hyde" he says, raising his hand.

.

Realizing she's just opened up Pandora's box, the receptionist smiles nervously and stands up. "I'll just go check on the doctor for you".

.

Hyde wraps his arm around Jackie tightly. "See—now this is actually closer to how I always imagined a trip to the baby doctor would go for me" he grins at her, fully amused.

.

"Yeah? Well, this is not the way I thought it would be for me" she sighs. "For one, I thought I'd be married."

.

"You are married, doll," he informs her with a smirk, which she quickly wipes off his face with a sharp pinch to the arm. "Ow!"

.

"I meant to the father of my baby, you jerkwad" Jackie pouts her bottom lip out.

.

Hyde leans over and nips her pouty lip, then kisses her sweetly. "How long does it take to get an annulment?" he asks.

.

She shrugs. "I've been trying to find that out all week" she says. "I have one of daddy's old friends working on it for me. He's a district court judge, so I'm hoping he can help us take care of this mess quickly," she informs him. "Why?" she wonders, looking at him suspiciously.

.

"Why do you think?" he gives her a wry expression.

.

Jackie smiles to herself as she plays with his hand on her belly.

.

Just then, the receptionist peeks her head out. "Ms. Burkhart, the doctor is just finishing up with the patient now, so it shouldn't be much longer."

.

"Finally!" she croaks as she lets her head collapse onto Hyde's shoulder.

.

Not more than a moment after she leaves, the doors of the waiting room open again and Jackie's doctor rushes out with an apologetic expression on his face, followed by Eric and Donna. "Just a few more minutes Ms. Burkhart" he informs her as he rushes towards the nurses office. "Thank you for your patience."

.

Jackie's heart lurches up into her chest. "Oh my God!" she exclaims as she sees her friends, careful not to steal more than a glance at Eric to gauge his mood. "Are you the preterm labor emergency?" she asks worriedly.

.

She can feel Hyde tighten his grip on her hand.

.

Donna rolls her eyes. "Yes, but I think Eric is just overreacting, as usual. He always gets so nervous near the end" she sighs.

.

Eric is agitated. "Donna, you actually did have preterm labor this time, so you don't get to pretend like I'm being paranoid right now," he huffs.

.

She rolls her eyes in Jackie's direction and mouths the word "crazy".

.

"I can see you out of the corner of my eye, honey" he says flatly.

.

"What?" she asks, looking up at him with an innocent smile.

.

"Jackie, will you please tell her she's doing too much and that she needs to take it easy? Maybe she'll listen to you." he pleads.

.

Hearing Jackie's name on Eric's lips sends Hyde into a quiet rage. He opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off quickly by his girlfriend.

.

"Steven and I will do anything we can do to help Donna relax. Stress is bad for a pregnancy" she mentions firmly, the last part directed solely at Hyde.

.

He looks down, hoping this little reunion passes quickly.

.

"Thank you Jackie" Donna says sweetly. "You know what would really alleviate my stress? If my husband would stop wearing his mommy's fleece gloves to bed."

.

Despite his anger, Hyde can't help but laugh involuntarily at this.

.

"They're cozy!" he yells.

.

"They're Kitty's gloves and they are a dealbreaker." she announces. "I will not take any medicine unless you get rid of them immediately," she threatens.

.

"You'd endanger our baby's life just to get me to give up my favorite pair of gloves that I love so very much?" he challenges.

.

"Yep" she responds swiftly, extending out the palm of her hand. She looks at Jackie "It's like having Kitty's hands all over my body" she shivers.

.

Eric balks loudly but complies with his wife's wishes. He pulls them out of his pocket and hands them over to her with a moan, and she immediately hands them to Jackie.

.

"You get rid of them, please. I don't trust him not to go rummaging through our garbage" she admits.

.

Jackie nods sympathetically. "Hey lumberjack, I have to shoot a segment later today, but if you need somebody to take Luke off your hands for a while so you can get some rest, let me know," she offers kindly.

.

"That's what he's for" she jokes, pointing at Eric. "But thanks. Maybe we'll do that later this week," she leans over to hug her best friend. "You look happy" she whispers in Jackie's ear.

.

"Okay" Eric says, nerves frayed by the withering stare he's receiving from his brother, "I think we should get you home now, honey" he smiles weakly and nods towards Jackie nervously.

.

Donna looks at Jackie and Hyde. "He's being such a Nervous Nellie about this. I think he may start lactating before the-"

.

"Bye!" Eric screams as he pushes her out of the office door.

.

Jackie looks over at Hyde, who is still trying to keep a lid on his anger. "I love you so much" she declares, throwing her arms around him. "I'm really proud of you for not beating the crap out of him, like I know you wanted to".

.

He brings his arms up around her and buries his face in her neck. "I did it for Donna," he says. "She doesn't deserve any of this" he decides.

.

Jackie is stabbed by a sharp pang of guilt. "No, I suppose she doesn't" she mumbles, getting lost in her thoughts. Anxiety starts to creep in slowly as she wonders what Steven is feeling towards her right now.

.

"Hey" he says, feeling her body chemistry change in his arms. "What's wrong?"

.

"Nothing" she smiles, then points to the receptionist standing at the door with her file, waiting to show them inside.

.

* * *

.

Fez and Angie are driving back from the candy store. Angie is holding a huge bag, overflowing with sugary sweets.

.

"I can't believe you plan to eat all of this" she laughs.

.

"No, my lovely. That bag is just for you" he smiles.

.

"You've got to be kidding!" she chuckles harder. "Did you do something that I need to forgive you for? Did you break something in my house?"

.

"Of course not! I've been with you for the entire weekend" he cries. "You would have seen me".

.

"Then are you trying to bribe me to do something for you?" she asks with a naughty edge to her voice.

.

Fez conspicuously turns his attention to the road.

.

Angie looks at Fez with suspicion. "Oh my God you _are _trying to bribe me. But why?" she wonders as she feels the car slow down to a stop.

.

Fez points to the Police station across the street and then grabs her hand.

.

She looks over at him with a mixture of fear and apprehension and shakes her head no.

.

"You can do this" he assures her.

.

"Fezzy, I can't. I really can't right now," she says, biting her lip.

.

"Angie, if a friend of yours had the same thing happen to her, what would you encourage her to do?" he asks simply.

.

She looks at the station and then down again. "I just don't think I can" she sobs softly.

.

Fez wipes her tears away and grabs her other hand. "You have to do this and you will do this. And I'll be there with you the whole time," he promises.

.

"I just—I was feeling so good over the last 24 hours, and I really only thought about it for like, maybe a second or two since you've been staying with me. Why can't I just move on from it instead of reliving it?" she pleads.

.

"You know why. This is your responsibility and you'll never forgive yourself if you don't," he states. "Think about the next victim. If you don't do this, there are going to be others for sure," he warns.

.

She takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. "I know. I know you're right."

.

"Hey, you're the most beautiful, smartest and strongest woman I've ever known. You don't need me to go with you to do this, because you can do it on your own. But luckily, you don't have to do it alone," he smiles.

.

She lifts his hand to wipe away the rest of her tears and breathes deeply once again. "Can we bring the candy with us?" she asks.

.

"Baby, I wouldn't have it any other way" he says, giving her his stallion face.

.

* * *

.

Donna and Eric are in the car headed home from the doctor's office.

.

"We still have the sitter for another few hours, are you hungry?" he asks her.

.

"If you ask Jackie, she'll tell you I'm always hungry" she jokes. "Sadly she's right."

.

"What are you in the mood for? Pizza? Gyros? Burgers?" he questions.

.

The redhead smiles. "D- all of the above."

.

"Oh boy. If this baby doesn't weigh 40lbs when it's born..." Eric starts.

.

Donna glares at him, stopping him mid-sentence. "Go on..."

.

He thinks about it for a moment. "Have I told you how beautiful you are lately? You glow."

.

Donna shakes her head at her husband's ability to always put his foot in his mouth. You'd think it had a Summer house there.

.

"So...Jackie and Hyde looked back to normal, whatever normal is with those two," he remarks.

.

"You think?" Donna's brow furrowed. "Hyde's seemed kind of off to me."

.

"Really?" Eric starts laughing for no reason. "Why would you say that?" he asks, cursing himself for not marrying somebody dumber. "They seemed awfully tight to me."

.

"Sure, he was great with Jackie, but he didn't say hello to us" she notes, scrunching up her face. "And he didn't even make eye contact with you."

.

"Sure he did!" he lies. "He gave me the ol' 'whazzup' head nod" he insists. "It's a dude thing".

.

She looks at him like he's crazy. "Really? I must have missed that. Nothing weird happened in Mexico right?"

.

Eric gives bedroom eyes and lowers his voice. "A lot of weird shit went down in Mexico, Donna."

.

"Point taken" she laughs. "Oh well. Maybe it's just, like, my hormones making me paranoid" she shrugs.

.

"There's a twinkie in the glove box if you're too hungry to wait for lunch" he lets her know, trying to distract her with food. It usually works. "So sad. A glove box with no gloves to fill it" he fake weeps.

.

Donna pulls the twinkie out of the compartment and cuddles up to Eric, kissing him on the cheek. "I'll get you your own pair of gloves. Your very own man gloves. Does that make you feel better, honey?"

.

He stops at a light and kisses her for a long time. "Now I'm better" he smiles.

.

* * *

.

Jackie is lying on the exam table in her paper robe, leaning against Hyde, who stands next to her holding her hand. Neither of them say a word, but words aren't necessary, since there really isn't much to say. They can only wait.

.

Hyde leans down and kisses the top of Jackie's head and squeezes her hand. He feels beyond helpless watching his little doll lie there, but there's nothing he can do. It's a new feeling for him, since he's always been able to talk, steal or beat his way out of any bad situation. God he wishes things were as simple now.

.

He leans forward to distract her by whispering in her ear. "If you steal this paper robe, I will tear it off you later."

.

Jackie squeezes his hand back. "Not sure how I feel about you finding hospital robes erotic, but I'll see what I can do" she whispers back into his ear, her hot breath setting his skin on fire.

.

"I don't know, these stirrups could be pretty useful" he murmurs into her hair, trying to get a rise out of her.

.

"Steven, you're a pig" she teases.

.

"I'm kidding!" he claims, defensively.

.

She raises an eyebrow. "No you're not."

.

He shrugs.

.

The doctor knocks twice on the door and enters, followed by the Russian ultrasound tech. Jackie and Hyde immediately tense up.

.

"Hello Jackie, Hyde. Jodie at reception updated me on your family situation, so there's no need to explain again" he offers kindly.

.

"Thank you" Jackie responds contemplatively.

.

"I believe you both already know Anna," the doctor gestures to her as he pulls on a pair of rubber gloves and parts Jackie's robe in the front.

.

He takes out a tape measure and measures from her belly button to her panty line and then presses his hands into the lower part of her belly.

.

She takes in a sharp breath as he thrusts his fingers deep into her stomach, alarming Hyde. "I think you're hurting her, doc," he says concerned.

.

"It's okay" she tells him, not wanting to complain.

.

"No, it's not okay" he counters.

.

"I was just feeling for the positioning of the head. It can sometimes cause a little bit of discomfort, depending on how far down the baby is," he informs them. "She's head down, by the way, which is where we want her to be and she's measuring normally for her age," he smiles.

.

"That's good" she says hopefully while looking at Hyde for confirmation.

.

Anna unceremoniously squirts cold gel on Jackie's stomach, causing her to jolt from the shock. "Sorry, it's going to be a little cold," she apologizes.

.

"Thanks for the warning" Hyde says sarcastically, now fully pissed off.

.

The tiny brunette bears down on her boyfriend's hand so he knows to stay in line.

.

Anna rolls the wand up and down Jackie's pelvis, stopping occasionally to press into her in various spots.

.

The doctor looks on. "Okay, if you look right here," he points at the screen, "you can see your little girl's profile—see? Her leg is bent up against the side."

.

Hyde is rapt. "Look doll, she already good at lounging," he grins.

.

"Just like daddy" she smiles. "But I think she has my profile" she points to the screen. "See on the right? That's the Burkhart nose."

.

Hyde looks at the screen and then Jackie, who poses sideways for him. "I think you're right. She'll be lucky if she gets your everything, except maybe your big mouth."

.

"I thought you liked my mouth." She holds his hand close to her mouth and bites his hand lightly as a warning. "I don't care what she looks like Steven, as long as she's healthy. And that she doesn't have your hair. You can't test for afros, can you doctor?" she asks looking up at him.

.

"Not yet" he laughs. "Want to hear the heartbeat?"

.

They both nod nervously.

.

He turns the dial on the sound and the rhythmic swooshing sound of their baby's heartbeat fills the room.

.

"It sounds strong" Hyde assures Jackie, who agrees.

.

Anna moves the wand around a little more, prints out a few pictured for them and turns the machine off.

.

"Wait! Are you done? What about her heart?" Jackie presses.

.

The doctor closes up her gown and places his hand on her shoulder. "Not much progress. The hole is a little smaller, but still a ways to go."

.

Jackie sobs loudly into Hyde's chest as he strokes her back. He's dying on the inside, but he'll gouge his eyes out before he'll allow himself to cry one tear about this in front of Jackie. She needs him to be strong right now.

.

"Don't worry. You still have a couple more months to go, so anything can happen. If the hole is still there by the 8th month, we'll talk surgical options then." he says, trying not to sound alarmist. "Just try to relax and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. Stressing out about it isn't going to help your baby. We just have to cross our fingers and watch the calendar. I can see you again in a month," he says, patting her shoulder as he signals for Anna to leave the room with him.

.

Once the door is shut and they're alone, Hyde gets up on the table with her and holds her in his arms fully. "You heard him, he said not to worry. He also said you need to relax".

.

"Yeah? Well he also said 'surgical options', so I will worry and I won't relax, thank you very much" she sniffs as she buried into his chest.

.

"I know in my bones she's going to be okay Jackie," he says.

.

"How can you know that? Nobody knows that!" she bawls.

.

"That night you begged me to go to prom with you, I knew I was going to fall in love with you" he reveals. "And when I first saw you across that stage during the Elvis Costello concert, I knew we'd be together forever," he adds.

.

"That only proves that I'm irresistible" she cries. "not that you're clairvoyant!"

.

"Hearing her heartbeat just now, I just know our baby will be okay," he attests. "You have to believe me."

.

Jackie pulls her face off of his chest and uses his shirt to dry her face.

.

Hyde looks at her seriously as he dabs away the rest of her tears. "Are you just going to sit there and cry or are you going to suck it up and hope for the best. You have to have hope, Jackie. Our little girl needs us to root for her right now, and you're no quitter, right? What happened to my Scrappy Doo?"

.

She looks into his clear blue eyes and feels a wave of calm wash over her. At this moment, he's everything she always ever hoped he'd become one day. He did the impossible. He went from a damaged kid, born to a den of criminals who had the emotional openness of a jammed up window to the man of the house—her house—strong, dependable, trustworthy, and capable of loving fiercely without boundaries. A pretty amazing feat that she feels honored to have witnessed. Because of that, she's going to do the one thing she always feared she'd never be able to: she is going to put her complete trust in him.

.

"If you say she'll be okay Steven, then I'll believe it too" she says, "because I believe in you".

.

Everything Steven Hyde wants is sitting in his lap right now and it belongs to him because he's earned it, and for the first time ever he actually feels he deserves what he has. He clawed and scrapped his way into maturity, and it may have taken him longer than most, but he did it. Harder than climbing Everest.

.

As they huddle together on the exam table, he looks into Jackie's beautiful mismatched eyes and his insides melt.

.

When she's born, he plans to tell his kid that today was the day he 'just knew' his life was going be truly be complete.

.

**A/N – Whaddaya think? I thought I'd give you a sweet chapter after the turmoil. Still to come before this loooong story ends: the Eric/Hyde confrontation, the baby shower in Point Place with three crazy grandmas, Donna finding out about Eric/Jackie, Fez possibly getting more than candy from Angie and babies galore.**

**Please leave a review if you can and let me know if you liked the chapter. Also, If this story is a favorite of yours—please mark it as one of your "favorite stories". It really helps get more readers on this and more readers = more feedback, which helps me get better. Thanks!**


	28. Chapter 28

**We are speeding up here, tying up loose ends. I'm leaning towards including an epilogue if you're interested. Let me know! This chapter is smut free (sorry!)**

**.**

**CHAPTER 28**

.

One month later.

.

Angie is getting dressed for work in the bathroom, putting the finishing touches on her makeup. She smiles to herself as she hears the familiar strains of Salt-n-Peppa's "Push It" coming from the living room.

.

Fez always likes to start the day with a disco. He says it's better than drinking a cup of strong coffee. She's not so sure about that, but as long as he makes the coffee, she's up for cutting a rug with him before heading out. That's their deal.

.

* * *

.

Fez is grooving while he brews the coffee. Shaking his ass in a pair of tight acid washed jeans and rocking a black fedora as he pours water into the top of the machine.

.

Angie silently watches his hips twitch as she bobs her head in time with the music. This morning ritual has become the best part of her day, except for the afternoons when Fez picks her up from work and of course the evenings when they cook dinner together.

.

He senses her behind him, then turns around, points at her and sings. "Girl! You really got me goin'. You got me so I don't know what I'm doin'".

.

Angie giggles and dances over to Fez and sings. "Push it good! P-Push it real good!"

.

They finish the song out and Angie immediately dives towards the coffee maker, still needing her morning cup of joe.

.

Fez shifts nervously while watching her prepare her drink. "Um, Angie..."

.

"M-hmm?" she asks, still moving her hips to the music that is no longer playing.

.

"I, um, I need to go back home today for a little while" he says, breaking it to her gently.

.

She turns around to face him while stirring her coffee.

.

"I've barely been home in nearly a month now, bunny, and my plants are all dead. I'm also all out of clean underwear" he says.

.

"I have a washing machine here, Fez" she pouts.

.

"I have to go. It'll just be one night. I just don't have all of my stuff here" he explains.

.

Angie feels short of breath. She knew this day was coming, it was inevitable, but she had gotten so used to him being at her house every day that she was hoping he would forget he had a place of his own.

.

Since the plane touched down at O'Hare, Fez has been diligently by her side. At first it was because she was too afraid to be alone in the house, but frequent trips to the therapist and a self-defense course took care of that fear.

.

She then told herself it was because they worked near each other and it was convenient, plus she just enjoyed having somebody around. Days turned into weeks, and now a month later he still hasn't left, and she hasn't wanted him to. She'd been too fearful to face it until now, but the truth is that she's very quickly fallen helplessly in love with the sweet-natured foreigner, a fact that he's probably oblivious to.

.

Angie takes a sip of her coffee and furrows her brow. "What if..." she starts nervously, "What if you did...have all of your stuff here?"

.

Fez looks at his crush in disbelief. "Are you asking me to move in with you?"

.

"Don't you kind of already live here?" she counters shyly.

.

He runs his hands through his hair. "Yes, but-Angie, you know how I feel about you, but I have no idea if you feel the same. I mean, we've been taking things slow, and I'm glad we did, but how do you know you even really want me here? You're asking me to move in with you, but we haven't even kissed yet" he rambles.

.

Angie puts her coffee down on the counter, walks purposely over to Fez and claims his mouth with hers in a soft, sensual kiss. The perfect first kiss.

.

She pulls away, leaving them both breathless. "Now will you move in with me?"

.

He leans forward and kisses her again, this time more passionately, running his fingers up her spine into the base of her hair, cradling her completely and stealing her breath away.

.

Angie is completely blown away. "I mean, Jackie said you were a good kisser, but this was—Fez are you moving in or what?" she asks, almost screaming at him breathlessly.

.

"Hell yes" he smiles. "This means you like me too, right?"

.

Angie gives Fez a wry smile. "What gave you that impression?"

.

"Just making sure we're on the same page" he says as he leans in for another kiss.

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Donna are getting pedicures, side by side in spa chairs at a salon.

.

"How did you talk me into this? I mean, I can't even see my feet anymore Jackie, what's the point?" Donna complains.

.

"Hello? Other people see your feet" she grimaces. "Like for instance, moi" she smiles. "And I'm trying to pamper you here!"

.

"I guess" she grumbles.

.

"God, is this grumpiness what I have to look forward to next month? If so, they can just give me the epidural now" she sniffs.

.

"Sorry. I know you're just trying to cheer me up." she mopes.

.

"Donna, is something bothering you—other than the obvious?" she asks, looking at her friend's giant belly and swollen legs. "I'm talking about your cankles" she whispers, pointing to her friend's calves.

.

The redhead rolls her eyes. "Eric's been kind of acting strangely for the past few weeks and I don't know why".

.

"Isn't strange kind of Eric's baseline?" Jackie swallows hard, trying to push down the surge of guilt that has just risen into her throat.

.

"Well, he's been spoiling me rotten," she admits, "which isn't so strange on it's own considering my condition, but it's been kind of...I don't know...desperate or guilty...and very twitchy, of course, but that's kind of a given?" she twists her mouth in thought.

.

The tiny princess nods "He is desperate, but I thought you knew that when you married him?"

.

"Can you get serious for a moment? I really think something funky is going on" she sighs. "Also, he hasn't spoken to Hyde since they got back from Mexico and he won't tell me what happened."

.

"Yeah, Steven won't say anything to me about it either" she lies.

.

"Do you think he could be having an affair? That would explain why Hyde might be angry with him?" Donna stresses. "I know I've been mean and fat lately, but he still tries to have sex with me all the time" she asserts.

.

"Ew." Jackie's eyes widen and she shakes her head vigorously. "I mean, no way. Why would he cheat on you? How could he possibly score a hotter woman than you? The answer: he can't. Impossible."

.

"Well, I don't know. I mean, you slept with him once, didn't you?" she asks casually, as if this is common knowledge.

.

Jackie feels like she's riding an elevator with severed cables, plummeting towards the ground at a rapid speed. Her face contorts as she tries to decide how to handle this question. Does she lie and put her best friend's mind at ease to protect her from added stress, or just admit to the truth, something that's sure to come out one day anyway.

.

"How did you know that?" she asks as she looks down at her feet.

.

"When are you people going to realize that I'm intuitive? You can't get shit past this mind, it's like a vice" she declares.

.

"How are you not, um, killing me right now?" Jackie wonders.

.

"I figured it out before Eric and I even got back together. Eight years is a pretty long time to come to terms with something," she says. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I had dreams of shaving your head bald at the time, because what woman would do that to her best friend? But then I realized that I hadn't been much of a best friend—or even regular friend—to you that entire year, and if I had been, it never would have happened." she explains.

.

"That's true. If we had been talking I would never have done that. I would have turned to you in my hour of need, though if we had slept together it would have made for some interesting basement reunions. It's just, I was in a really bad place—like beyond bad. You have no idea" she confides.

.

"You're right. I have no idea, because I was shitty and self-centered that year and I pretty much fucked up every relationship that was important to me" she tells her. "Even my dad was pissed off with me then, and you know how hard it is to get Bob angry."

.

"Eric and I never loved each other, if you're worried about that" Jackie offers.

.

Donna laughs hysterically. "I don't think I lost too much sleep worrying about that" she snickers. "I mean, come on! You guys must have both been pretty down and out to turn to each other of all people" she smirks. "I was really mad about it, but I've had a decade to get over it and well, I'm over it. It feels like a lifetime ago."

.

"I feel like a different person, thank God" she admits, embarrassed. "I really am so sorry. Mainly sorry I never said anything earlier. Eric is really nervous about thr fallout from this."

.

"So let me guess—this is why he's been acting strangely? Did Hyde find out somehow?" she asks.

.

"I told him" Jackie says.

.

Donna smiles, impressed by her little friend. "I was not expecting that answer. You really have grown up. And so has Hyde actually. Normally, Eric would be in a hospital by now."

.

Jackie blushes. "He's been..." She smiles and bites her lip.

.

"Wow. So, this is it then? No more breakups?" she asks.

.

"Nope" the little brunette shakes her head. "We are just too much work for anybody else to take on, so we may as well stick together. That, and I love him more than shoes."

.

Just then, Fez scurries over to the ladies. "I need to talk to you right now, Jackie" he says very seriously.

.

"What's wrong?" asks Donna.

.

Fez turns and looks at her with mild disdain. "I need a woman's opinion on this, Donna."

.

Jackie cackles.

.

"I'm a woman! Just because I wear flats and rarely wear makeup and-okay fine, talk to the midget if you must" she grumbles.

.

Fez perches himself on the arm of her spa chair. "Angie asked me to move in with her this morning."

.

"Aren't you, like, already living there?" Jackie asks.

.

"Not officially. I mean, we hadn't even kissed until this morning" he confides.

.

"You kissed! Oh my God, Fezzy! I'm so happy for you!" she says, jumping up and down in her seat, irritating her nail tech. "Was it magical?" she smiles dreamily.

.

His smile matches hers. "You have no idea".

.

"So what's the problem then?" Donna pipes in.

.

"I think she's going to want to, you know, 'do it' tonight" he says, singing the last few words. "and I want it to be special for her. Especially since the last time for her was so..." his words trail off as all three friends look in different directions.

.

Jackie tries to break the tension. "I'm sure just being with you will make it special for her," she says cheerfully. "Flowers and candles don't hurt either. And maybe you could play a song that's special to you guys?" she suggests.

.

"We like to dance to 'Push It' sometimes in the morning" he offers.

.

"You might wanna stay away from that one Fez" Donna laughs. "Why not something romantic from a singer she really likes? What's the first song you guys danced to?" she asks.

.

Fez thinks for a moment. It was at the Phil Collins concert. Jackie and Hyde were all over each other but pretending they didn't like each other at all and we were nearby gawking at them and dancing. It was still kind of romantic though. She smelled like cotton candy and champagne."

.

"Perfect! Cotton candy, champagne and Phil Collins it is! Problem solved." Jackie beams.

.

He wraps his arms around Jackie. "Thank you so much, Aphrodite".

.

"I helped too!" Donna says, disgruntled.

.

"Thank you Donna" he sighs. "I'll call you in the morning to tell you everything" he informs Jackie.

.

"You know she's probably going to call me too" Jackie laughs. "I'm so excited!" she bounces.

.

He runs off and Jackie turns back to Donna. "Well, I got one couple together. I think I'm going to need a lot of help getting the other one to make nice, though."

.

"You don't think flowers and candles and Phil Collins would work on Hyde too, do you?" she jokes.

.

"Don't joke, that was seriously my birthday wish last year," Jackie says.

.

"I'll work on getting Eric to apologize and you work on getting Hyde to promise not to punch Eric's lights out. I need him conscious when I go into labor." she says.

.

"I think I can probably convince him to do what I want. I've still got one trick up my sleeve" she smirks.

.

"You're going to finally do that thing he wants, aren't you?" Donna accuses.

.

"Oh I've already done that Donna" she says with a wiggle.

.

* * *

.

Jackie open the door to the apartment and finds Hyde cooking an early dinner for her while listening to "Dude Looks Like a Lady" by Aerosmith. She walks over to him and wraps her arms around his waist, leaning her head firmly against his back.

.

He reaches behind himself and grabs her butt with both hands. "Hey doll" he says in an uncharacteristically perky voice.

.

"Turn around" she demands.

.

He turns around and replaces his hands in the exact same spot on her bottom, then pulls her to him for a big kiss.

.

"You're dancing around the kitchen, cooking me dinner, smiling a lot, grabbing my ass. Somebody's read my diary again" she says tsk-tsking him in a sing-songy voice.

.

"First of all, I'm not dancing around the kitchen- I'm cooking something. Second of all, I'm smiling because I have some good news for you" he says, kissing her again.

.

"You're making me coq au vin!" she exclaims giddily.

.

"Hey wino. Coq au vin isn't a back door way to get drunk while pregnant, so just give up the dream already," he admonishes. "All of the booze cooks off, by the way."

.

"Just because I like coq au vin, it does not make me a drunk, okay?" she pouts and sits at the kitchen table. "I have better news than you do and now I may not even tell you" she huffs.

.

Hyde shakes his head and can't help but grin. He's even starting to find her childish temper tantrums, unreasonable demands and passive-aggressive threats adorable. God help him, this must be true love.

.

"Would you like to go first?" he asks as he takes the seat next to her and holds her hand.

.

"Whatever" she says, showing little interest.

.

He lifts her hand to his mouth and plants a few kisses on the inside of her wrist, sending a shiver up her arm.

.

"You're playing dirty" she says with faux disdain.

.

"I am dirty" he tells her.

.

She yanks her hand back and recomposes herself. "Fine. Angie and Fez are moving in together."

.

Hyde's smile grows wide. "Really? When did he ask her?"

.

"She asked him!" Jackie squeals. "Isn't it romantic?"

.

"I'm really relieved she's happy. Especially after you-know-who did you-know-what," he says.

.

Jackie frowns. "Fernando. You can say his name. I am still married to him, you know."

.

"Not for long. That was my good news. Your dad's friend called and says that he can push the annulment through in the next two weeks. Usually it takes about three months to get one, but you're getting one in half that time," he informs her. "Hooray for corruption."

.

"Are you messing with me?" she asks nervously.

.

"Nope" he grins. "That's why I was cooking. I wanted us to celebrate."

.

"Oh my God. It doesn't feel real." Jackie scoots over to Hyde's lap and snuggles him. "Am I too fat to sit on your lap now?" she asks, worried she might be hurting him.

.

"No, you're beautiful. Besides, I've got my two girls sitting on my lap. Life is good." he kisses her.

.

"Yes it is" she murmurs into his neck.

.

"So...um, are we still on for that whole getting married thing?" he asks apprehensively.

.

Jackie pulls away from his neck to look in his eyes. "You just pick a day, and I'll marry you."

.

Visibly relieved, Hyde pulls a black velvet box out of his pocket. "Do you think it's still too early for you to wear this then?"

.

She sighs and takes the box from his hands and opens it. "I really missed you".

.

"I've missed you too" he says, kissing her hair.

.

"Oh no Steven, I was talking to the ring" she grins.

.

This display of typical Jackie behavior causes Hyde to chuckle. "Check the inside. I had it inscribed."

.

Jackie is touched and holds the ring to her heart before checking out the inscription, which reads: 'We Belong Together'.

.

"Like the song Pat Benetar sang when I asked you to marry me the first time" he says.

.

"Steven J. Hyde, you are just a big old sentimental softie inside, aren't you?" she coos as she runs a finger down the side of his face.

.

"Guys don't like to be called soft, Jackie" he grumbles.

.

"But you are though. You're my soft little teddy bear" she breathes into his ear.

.

"That's worse. You need to stop before my balls fall off" he complains.

.

"I wouldn't want that to happen" she lilts as she kisses him in the sweet spot of his neck.

.

"Are going to wear the ring or not?" he barks impatiently.

.

"Are you going to get down on one knee or not?" she barks back.

.

He glares at her and she responds by pushing out her bottom lip and pouting. "Please?"

.

He rolls his eyes. "Fine" he grumbles as he gently pushes her off his lap so he can get up. He takes the ring from her hand and kneels down. "Jacqueline Beula Burkhart..."

.

She flicks his earlobe. "Start over, Steven."

.

"Jackie, I love you. Will you please marry me already and put me out of my misery?" He asks as he slowly slides the ring onto her left hand, then stands.

.

"Of course I will" she claps her hands then throws them around his neck. He hugs her tightly and lifts her slightly off the ground as they kiss. "...but only if you forgive Eric."

.

He lowers her back onto her feet. "Are you kidding me with this?" he questions angrily.

.

"I'm not. You can't go on like this. You're his family, and soon I will be too and I refuse to get married into a family with feuding brothers" she informs him while crossing her arms over her chest.

.

"Man, the ball-busting started less than a minute after you had that ring on your finger. That has to be a Guinness World Record or something," he bitches.

.

"If Kitty knew about your fight, she would be devastated" she tries using a combination of guilt and light blackmail.

.

"If Kitty knew what the fight was about, she'd be even more devastated" he counters, one-upping her.

.

"Honestly. Donna and I don't know what to do with the two of you," she frowns.

.

"Donna knows about the fight?" he asks.

.

"She's not blind. You haven't spoken to each other in weeks" she sighs, exasperated.

.

"Donna should really leave it alone if she knows what's good for her" he warns. "She could get herself hurt."

.

"She already knows" Jackie informs him.

.

"She knows? Like, _knows _knows?" he asks her to confirm.

.

"She figured it out eight years ago! So, clearly she's over it, you know?" she says.

.

"Wow. Did she rip Forman a new one?" he wonders.

.

"Oh, he doesn't have any idea she knows" Jackie grins impishly.

.

Hyde looks into his maybe-fiancee's mixed-up eyes and notices that familiar twinkle she gets when she's planning something devious. It's hot, especially when he's not on the receiving end of her burn. "What's going on in that busy brain of yours, Mrs. Hyde?"

.

"Oh, I'm sorry, are we engaged? I wasn't sure if you had agreed to my condition or not," she breezily tells him as she swings her hips while walking to the fridge for a drink.

.

He smirks. "You are a conniving, blackmailing, guilt-tripping, cunning, manipulative bitch," he says, "and I will agree to any condition you lay out if you agree to be my girl forever."

.

She turns around and smiles. "You're so romantic" she squeals as she flies into his arms for a Guinness Record-breaking kiss.

.

**A/N – Kind of sappy, I know, but I think they all deserve a little happiness, right? Please let me know if you're still out there reading this and tell me if you liked the chapter in the reviews section-anons are welcome! I'm hoping I can reach 100 reviews by the end of the story, but there are only a handful of chapters left, so if you have the time and energy, it would make my day if you could help me reach that goal.**

**.**

**Also, if you like this story, I'd appreciate it if you made it a "favorite" so more people will read it. Thank you!**


	29. Chapter 29

**This chapter is a smut-free zone. Sorry! (or yay? Depends on your take). You will, however, see Fez finally get some, but it won't be graphic because I find the character way too creepy to write smutty scenes for. Fez is strictly fade-to-black for me as far as sex scenes go, which is why season 8 gave me nightmares-especially the last episode (barf!).**

**.**

**CHAPTER 29**

.

Jackie is curled up on the end of the couch, talking on the phone while Hyde does the dishes.

.

"It's going to be fine. Stop worrying, we're talking about Fez, for Christ's sake" she says, trying to stifle a laugh.

.

Hyde looks over at his girl and she mouths the word crazy while pointing to the receiver.

.

"But what if he doesn't like it with me?" Angie frets on the other side of the line.

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"Do you have female parts?" Jackie asks.

.

"Last time I checked" she responds as she places her hands over her breasts to make sure.

.

"Then you are golden! He's a breast man, and you've got boobs, so that area is totally covered" she continues with her pep talk.

.

Hyde winces. "Can't you take this little sex talk outside?"

.

"Excuse me for a second Angie," she says into the phone before turning to Hyde. "No, I cannot. Don't you want your sister to be happy? She's already halfway down the road to being old maid, Steven."

.

"Hey!" a displeased voice screams over the telephone line.

.

"Sure I want her happy, but unless you want me to start ovulating by the time you're off the phone, you need to bring the estrogen into the other room" he warns.

.

"Why don't you bring your testosterone into the other room? You made me fat and I'm not getting off this couch" she snaps.

.

Hyde bites back a smile. "Then can you possibly keep your shrill voice down,_ sweetheart_?"

.

"_Darling_, if I thought that were at all possible I would have tried it years ago. Deal with it or walk away" she threatens waving him off with her hand.

.

He looks at her for a moment and seethes. "You're lucky you're knocked up" he grumbles while pointing at her.

.

"That's debatable" she says flatly through a tight smile.

.

He throws the dish towel on the floor and storms off, but not before giving her a scorching look and a heads up. "Five minutes" he winks as he heads towards the bathroom and turns on the bathtub tap.

.

Jackie's lips curl upwards as she rubs her tummy. "What were you saying again, before we got so rudely interrupted?" she asks her almost sister-in-law.

.

Angie is gobsmacked. "Have have you two not killed each other by now?"

.

"You know your brother. Anger is the only language he's fluent in. Plus, we _really_ like making up" she sighs, knowing what's in store for her soon.

.

The darker skinned beauty nods her head. "I get it. Fighting is your foreplay."

.

"No, foreplay is our foreplay" she smiles, "but fighting comes before that. It's foreforeplay".

.

"I wonder what language is Fez fluent in?" she wonders aloud.

.

Jackie thinks for a moment. "Well, nobody really knows what language Fez is fluent in, but I'm pretty sure that candy is his foreplay, so I'd hit the 7-Eleven before he comes over. Also, please don't wear those granny panties you seem to be into lately."

.

"Thanks JB" she says, slightly annoyed.

.

"My pleasure" she chirps, before noticing the hanging silence on the other end. "You know, Angie, you couldn't be in safer hands than Fez's. I know you're probably kind of...hesitant about dipping your toe in the pool again after almost drowning in it, but consider Fez your own personal lifeguard" she expresses warmly.

.

Angie smiles. "He is, isn't he? I'll call you in the morning."

.

"Have fun!" Jackie coos as she clicks off the call.

.

She tries to stand up but can't seem to get off the couch. Frustrated, she calls her lover's name across the house. "Steeeeven!".

.

Hyde peeks his head out of the bathroom and notices his trapped babydoll. "Again?" he asks with mild amusement.

.

"Don't you dare make fun of me, Steven Hyde! This is your giant baby in here" she whines as he crosses to her nude except for a white towel slung low across his waist.

.

He leans over to help her, then instead grabs the Poloroid camera on the side table and takes a picture of Jackie in her predicament while cackling meanly.

.

She rolls her eyes. "You just about done?"

.

He shakes his head no and snaps two more pictures. "Now I'm done" he smirks victoriously.

.

Jackie pouts as Hyde places the camera on the couch and lifts his girl to her feet. She pulls his towel off, throws it across the room and then waddles angrily towards the bathroom.

.

* * *

.

Donna is standing in front of two open suitcases, in which she throws balled up socks and underwear with the skill of a basketball forward.

.

Eric walks into the room carrying Luke and looks at his wife quizzically. "Interesting packing technique" he notes.

.

"Yeah? Well, I lost the ability to bend comfortably a few months ago, so enjoy the game" she remarks drolly. "I'll be trying out for the Bulls later this week."

.

"Honey, I told you that I would pack us" he says.

.

"Yeah Eric, you say a lot of things. Whether or not those things actually get done is a different story" she grumbles.

.

"Donna, sit down" he orders.

.

She tosses the last sock into the suitcase and plops on the couch. "Fine. But I'm only sitting because I want to, not because you told me to" she snipes.

.

Eric has a seat next to her and bounces Luke on his knee. "Are you feeling sad again. Like last time?" he asks as he holds her hand.

.

Donna rolls her neck and then settles her head on his shoulder. "No. I'm just feeling weird about going home" she admits.

.

"Why? I thought you said you missed Point Place" he questions.

.

"Of course I do. It's just...what's going on with you and Hyde?" she asks, giving him a chance to come clean with her.

.

Eric feels his chest tighten as he tries to recall the elaborate lie he constructed earlier to explain the estrangement. "I said something stupid to him when we were in Mexico. Something about Jackie. You know how he gets about her" he says, spinning his yarn, hoping she doesn't push too hard for more details. It's not the most creative lie, but it wasn't entirely untrue. Hyde is mad at him for things he said about Jackie, but those things were more along the lines of 'take your pants off'. He convinces himself that this is a lie of omission, which in his mind is less severe and dare he think it - maybe even a little bit more honest than a normal lie? He realizes he's pushing it, and decides to just lay back and accept the twinge of guilt coming his way like a man.

.

As pregnant as she is, Donna starts to feel hollow inside. Why can't he just be honest with her? After all this time, after New Orleans especially, it shouldn't be so hard to do. Even Jackie, who is practically a compulsive liar, was able to fess up without giving her the run around. Why not the man who she's spent her entire life loving?

.

"Yeah" Donna responds with lackluster energy, not bothering to try to trip him up in his lie. "He gets very touchy about her, but she's the same about him. I think they've finally reached a place in their relationship where they can be totally honest with each other though, so I doubt that will be happening too much anymore."

.

Eric rolls his eyes. "Jackie is honest like a wookie is bald. Not very!" he laughs heartily at his own bad joke.

.

Luke reaches his arms out for his mama and climbs onto what's left of her lap. She holds the sandy-haired boy to her chest and kisses his head. He's the union of best parts of both of them, and she wonders quietly whether she and Eric were stuck with the stuff that got left over. How can something as perfect as Luke come from such a messed up couple? As much as she loves her husband, they were never the perfect match everybody thought they were. Their marriage requires just as much work as anyone else's, despite what people see on the surface. He's her best friend, her favorite person in the world, but they have very different ideas about what they expect from a relationship and they always have.

.

Though she knows logically that Eric loves her, she's feeling distinctly unloved at the moment. Love has always equaled trust to her and she never felt he ever truly trusted her, even going way back to the promise ring incident. He expects her to feel and act in a pre-specified way and if she doesn't, he feels she's let him down. He sets the same high standards for himself too. Maybe he's disillusioned because he's the one who went off-the-rails this time? Why doesn't he trust her enough to handle his flaws when her transgressions are always discussed to death? He always wants to be the perfect one and paint her as the screw up. What kind of marriage is that?

.

"You'd be surprised at how much she tells Hyde nowadays" Donna says casually, toying with his anxiety. "I've never seen either of them happier than they are right now. I guess that's what happens when two people finally put all of their cards out on the table and stop the BS."

.

Eric looks down at his hands as he nervously twists his wedding band. "I'm glad they're happy. They both deserve it after everything they've been through" he admits with uncharacteristic gravity.

.

Donna raises an eyebrow at his admission. "Even Jackie?"

.

He nods slowly. "Even the she-devil."

.

"Speaking of the devil..." she smirks at her own play on words, "I promised her I'd go with her to Fernando's apartment tonight to collect the rest of her stuff, so come on" she says, smacking him on the knee. "Help me pack up before I leave".

.

With one last kiss on the hair, she hands Luke to her husband and attempts to withdraw herself from the soft couch.

.

* * *

.

Fez stands in front of the door to Angie's—and possibly his—apartment and smooths out the wrinkle in his shirt that the seatbelt caused. Though he has his own key, he feels it's only proper for him to knock on the door before greeting her for their first official date. He wants to do this one right, because it would kill him to fuck it up – and yes, he could practically fill a phone book with the various ways he's fucked up dates throughout the years he's lived in the USA.

.

Despite his love of this country and its people, he'll never truly feel like one of them. In his mind, he'll always be the weird awkward pervert who can't get laid, despite the scores of women (and yes, even a few men) he's been with. It's not easy for him to admit this, because Fez has been an ardent pupil in the 'Jackie Burkhart School of Positive Thinking,' whose one and only credo is 'fake it until you make it'.

.

It's usually worked in the past to his benefit. He got laid 20 times in 1979 using this false bravado method. Five years ago he bluffed his way onto a Hollywood set for a chance at work, and by the end of the year he was doing hair for above-the-line talent on his third film. Of course, the irony that this tactic failed to work on it's creator is not lost on him, but no amount of confidence would have landed him Jackie. You can't get what was never available to you.

.

But he doesn't want to do that with Angie, she deserves the 'real Fez' and if she can't deal with it, he'll know he's not right for her. All he wants is for her to be happy again, and he's willing to risk utter and complete devastation to make certain she has what she really wants. If she loves him, she's going to love Fez for what he is: a weird awkward pervert who gets laid quite frequently when he can remember not to be himself.

.

He raises his hand and hesitates for a moment before knocking on the front door. He can hear commotion in the background, then something heavy drops to the ground and a muffled "Shit!" emanates from inside the house. He smiles to himself, imagining his clumsy Angie running around excitedly knocking things over in a whirlwind. His Angie? Where did that come from?

.

Fez shifts from one foot to the other as he grips tightly to the bouquet of pale blue and yellow wildflowers in his hands.

.

The door finally opens, revealing a flustered-looking Angie under the door frame. "Hey" she smiles manically, not knowing exactly where to rest her hands on the door jamb. "You have no idea how happy I am that you knocked this time."

.

Fez lights up at the sight of his lady in a clingy, gold dress that perfectly compliments her mocha skin tone. "Wow. You look mighty sexy, bunny" he grins, giving her the once over.

.

"You're looking pretty foxy there yourself, pumpkin" she coos, still unable to find a comfortable-yet-still-sexy lounging position within the frame.

.

He thrusts the flowers forward towards her. "I know you like blue."

.

"They're beautiful," she sighs as she takes them and waves him inside.

.

He takes a seat on the couch, which for some reason seems more uncomfortable and formal than it did yesterday.

.

"This is kind of weird" she says, pulling a bottle of champagne out of the ice bucket.

.

Fez stands up to help Angie open the bottle. As his hand covers hers, they both feel a jolt of electricity pass between them.

.

"Thanks" she smiles.

.

He swiftly opens the bottle with a pop!, pours two glasses, and hands one to her. "To old friends" he says.

.

"And new possibilities" she quickly adds before clinking her glass against his.

.

"So, um, we don't have too much time, because our reservation is set for 8:30" he informs her.

.

Angie looks at the ground and sways back and forth. "I was thinking maybe...we could stay in tonight?"

.

Fez feels his heart leap up into his throat. Does this mean what Fez thinks it means? Is she even ready for something like this?

.

He drinks the entire glass of champagne in one go and rests the glass on the coffee table. "What exactly did you have in mind?" he asks, intrigued and scared shitless by her suggestion.

.

Her eyes sparkle as she takes his hand. "Well..." she says as she pulls him towards the dining room.

.

As they turn the corner, Fez is nearly bowled over by the display happening on the other side of the wall. There are tea lights everywhere, soft music playing, and several covered serving trays peppering the table.

.

Fez's breath catches as he takes in the scene. "You did all of this...for me?" he asks, wondering if this is real or a mirage of his own imagination.

.

Angie laughs. "No Fez, I'm actually expecting another guy to come over in about 30 minutes, so you need to get going."

.

Nobody's ever done something like this before for him. Sure, he's had his share of girlfriends, mostly older women, who have spoiled him, but never anything like this. Nothing so romantic. His insides start to tingle as he comes to the realization that the goddess in front of him might actually, amazingly, inexplicably feel exactly same way about him that he does about her.

.

"Oh" he says unaffected. "30 minutes is going to be tight, but I'm not very hungry anyway" he smiles knowingly.

.

She blushes as she turns to face him. "What a coincidence. I'm not very hungry either."

.

Fez's breathing speeds up and he can almost feel the earth start to rotate as Angie leans forward and places her soft, warm lips on his.

.

She pulls away breathless and exhilarated, sure that he must be able to feel her heart beating through the fabric of her dress. "Can you feel it?" she asks him without being specific.

.

Fez nods stoically then pulls Angie into his arms and kisses her with an ardor he usually reserves for the dessert table at a wedding. He runs his hands down her spine, letting them rest on the small of her back as hers delve into his hair.

.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he breathes into the crook of her neck as her hands make their way down to his firm behind.

.

_HELL YES!_ she screams in her head. "Yes" she moans into his ear as his kisses take on a more fevered pitch. "Very very sure."

.

He forces some distance between them for a moment to get his bearings. "I don't want...I don't want to hurt you...or make you feel like you have to do this" he says very seriously. "We can wait until you're ready" he insists.

.

"I don't want to wait" she says, giving him a wry smile. "I'm feeling pretty ready right now."

.

"Works for me" he says and with that, he picks her up threshold style and carries her into the bedroom.

.

* * *

.

Jackie slips on a tank top, peasant skirt and a pair of espadrilles. She secures her hair into a low ponytail then searches through her pocketbook for a specific key.

.

At the sound of her rummaging through her bag, Hyde begins to stir.

.

"Babydoll?" he calls out as his arm feels for her missing form on the bed.

.

"Go back to sleep" she whispers. "I just have to pop out for a bit to see Donna" she tells him.

.

He flips over to face her and sits up slightly. "Is she okay?" he asks, concerned for his friend.

.

"She's fine" she responds. "Just wants to talk about things."

.

Hyde rolls back over and closes his eyes. He's done talking about that particular subject for the rest of his life. "Call me when you get there" he orders gruffly.

.

"Yes, sir" she salutes.

.

"Come on, Jackie. You know why I'm asking" he grumbles.

.

"That wasn't asking, that was telling, and no—I don't know why" she says coyly. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

.

"Don't push it" he frowns.

.

"Why is this still so hard for you?" she questions him with frustration.

.

"You're not sure how I feel about you? I haven't made myself clear? I don't get why you still need to hear it so badly" he counters.

.

Jackie looks down at the floor and studies the grain of the rug. "I don't know. I just do" she confesses. "Maybe because you're the only one who ever says it" she says bluntly.

.

Hyde sighs and turns back over. "You can be reckless and stupid, so I worry about you."

.

"And you worry about me, because..." she prods.

.

He strokes his chin and stares at her. "...because I love you, doll."

.

Jackie smiles broadly. "I'll call you when I get there. I promise."

.

She walks over to the bed and kisses her boyfriend sweetly. He rubs her belly and gives it a tiny kiss too.

.

"Bye girls" he says grinning as he turns over to go back to sleep.

.

* * *

.

Jackie shuts her bedroom door and quietly walks into the kitchen, lifts the phone receiver and dials Donna.

.

The phone rings twice before she picks up. "Hello?"

.

"Hey Donna, I'm about to head over there now" she says. "Are you on your way?"

.

"I'll be there" she confirms. "Though I'm not sure why you're having me go with you instead of Hyde."

.

"You know how he gets when it comes to Fernando. I'm not really in the mood to tiptoe around his pride tonight," she admits. "I would have asked Eric, but he's not really built for lifting things. Also, Steven wouldn't really be happy if he went with me..."

.

"I get it" the ginger says sympathetically. "I'll see you in about 15 minutes?"

.

"Thanks" Jackie smiles as she puts the phone down.

.

* * *

.

As Jackie pulls up to her former apartment, she weirdly feels like the heroine of a science-fiction film. Though everything is oddly familiar, she has no real feeling of having actually been there, as if she were kidnapped and replaced by a pod person.

.

She knows her way around the parking lot, the hallways, and the elevator, but she never made any significant memories of her own in this place, so she may as well be visiting an old colleague or distant aunt whose house she went to a few times for a party.

.

Jackie approaches the door and pulls the house key from her pocket. She hesitates for a moment before sliding it into the lock. Like a prisoner returning to their former jailhouse, she has an overwhelming sense of dread and fear.

.

Never one to run from a challenge, she pushes the door open and enters the room, finding herself suddenly startled as the heavy door bounces off of the safety latch that was knocked out of the slider by her shoulder as she passed by.

.

She turns on the lights to survey the unit. Not too bad, considering nobody has been in this place for over a month. Walking through the kitchen, she spies an empty wine glass, no doubt a relic from Fernando's time here. She wonders for a minute if he drinks as much wine where he's staying now.

.

As she heads towards the bedroom, she notices that the light has been left on in that room. Her heart lurches into her throat as fear seems to ooze from every pore in her body. It rises off of her like steam and she's decidedly resentful about it. It's just a light, nothing more. Some idiot forgot to shut it off before they left. Maybe the housekeeper?

.

One thing Jackie Burkhart isn't, is a "Scared-y Cat", and to prove it to herself, she charges forward towards the light.

.

The last event she was prepared for though, was a visitor from down south. Way WAY down south. Like Mexico.

.

"Good evening, morocha" a velvety smooth voice from across the room calls. "I wasn't expecting you home so soon".

.

All of the blood drains from Jackie's body as she comes face to face with the last person on earth she ever expected to see again. "Fernando" she nods coldly as she steps into the bedroom to face her tormentor.

.

**A/N - I PROMISE this is the last you will see of this hot bastard. I only wrote him in because many of you thought his story wasn't quite finished yet, but you will not see him again after the next chapter. Scout's honor! Let me know how you liked this chapter-I'd love to hear from you anons out there. Guests are very welcome : )**


	30. Chapter 30

**This chapter is rated T, but there is some violence, strong language and all around scariness. There's some OTT drama, but this story is practically inching into telenovella territory, so I promise it's the last moment of insanity. Also, believe it or not, the action has a character-growth purpose, so it's not all just because I love watching Hyde beat people up (though let's face it, who doesn't?).**

**.**

**CHAPTER 30**

.

Donna silently curses Jackie as she hauls herself up several flights of stairs. Some idiot decided to pull the emergency brake on the elevator and she doesn't want to be there waiting all night, so she's sucking it up and taking the stairs—but at eight months pregnant, this requires a lot of sucking up. That little midget is going to owe her big time for this.

.

Upon reaching the top, she takes a moment to catch her breath. Alright, so it was more like five minutes, but who's counting? At least little miss cheerleader isn't around to make fun of her lack of lung capacity. She can just hear it now in that condescending tone Jackie likes to use 'A giant like you must have enormous lungs, Donna. Why are you so short of breath?'.

.

As she reaches the front door, she notices that Jackie has left it slightly ajar for her. Not such a great idea in Chicago, Donna thinks. Any creep could just let themselves inside and she'd have no idea. Nevertheless, she replaces the door as she's found it, assuming Jackie has some good reason for keeping it open. Her friend is not one to miss little details like this by accident.

.

While walking around the kitchen, Donna notices how all of the lights are still off, which seems to be an odd choice for somebody who is trying to collect the last of their stuff from an apartment. You'd want to see if you were forgetting something, right?

.

She spots one lone light on in the enclave bedroom and heads over there. Just as she's about to call out her friend's name, another voice has beaten her to it.

.

"Jackie, mi amor, what a nice surprise. Make yourself comfortable on the bed, because this is not going to be quick" the voice warns from through the wall.

.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

.

"I live here" he says, as he throws a couple of things into a suitcase.

.

Instantly recognizing the uninvited guest's voice, Donna is alarmed and unsure of what to do. If she weren't about to drop a kid any day now, she'd have already made her way back there to beat this guy's ass. Sure, Jackie can certainly hold her own, but at the end of the day she doesn't even break 100lbs on the scale, and it's hard to muster a lot of force behind your punches when your hands are as small as a ten year old's.

.

Donna is starting to feel uneasy about all of this. Even two bitches as tough as Jackie and Donna can't take down a strapping man in his late 20's while in their third trimesters of pregnancy. The redhead decides the best course of action is to wait and listen to see where this thing is going. Maybe he'll be civil? Probably not. She may not be at her full capacity, but she at least has the element of surprise on her side.

.

She reaches for the phone and puts it to her ear. No dial tone. Crap.

.

* * *

.

"What do you want Fernando?" Jackie asks with a sigh.

.

"I think I've been pretty upfront with my requests, darling" he answers haughtily.

.

"I don't know that blackmailing and bugging somebody would really be considered a request, you know?" she responds flatly.

.

"I'm not a bad guy, you know. It's not like I would have done those things if you had just honored your wedding vows" he explains with measured calmness.

.

"You're not a bad guy? I'm pretty sure Angie Barnett would beg to differ" Jackie retorts coldly.

.

"Angie and I were just having a little fun. I thought you understood our arrangement" he questions.

.

"Fun? I don't call being drugged, kidnapped into Mexico and date raped a fun night" she hisses.

.

Fernando's eyes flash with anger. "You weren't there Jackie, she wanted it."

.

The petite brunette rolls her eyes. "That's what they all say."

.

"Believe me, she was eager. She was gagging for it" he continues as he grabs her upper arm roughly. "I don't appreciate the insinuation you're making" he growls.

.

* * *

.

Hyde pads around the apartment nervously checking the clock. It's been an hour since Jackie left their apartment. She promised to call when she arrived at Donna's, yet he hasn't heard a word from her. Even in the most extreme traffic, it's no more than a 30 minute drive to their friend's house.

.

He looks at phone with hostility, and decides to chance the odd possibility of Forman answering in order to have peace of mind. She is seven months pregnant, and that's as good of a reason as any to push aside his pride.

.

He lifts the receiver and dials by heart the familiar number that (until recently) he used to call every day.

.

On the third ring, Eric answers. "Hello?"

.

Hyde hesitates for a moment before deciding to push through. "Can you put Donna on the phone?"

.

"Hey Hyde" he says sadly, as he feels his chest tighten up.

.

"Forman, I need to talk to Donna, ok?" the scruffy guy demands.

.

"Donna?" he asks with a hint of confusion.

.

"Uh...5'10", red hair, you're freaking married to her. That Donna" he responds with snark.

.

Eric clears his throat. "Yeah, I know who Donna is Hyde, I'm just wondering why you're calling here. She hasn't been home for at least 45 minutes. She went to go meet the antichrist to help her move."

.

"Wait—what? Move what?" Hyde feels like he's been sucker-punched. His doll is moving out? Things are better now than they've ever been. They are finally the family they've both always dreamed of making. What could have gotten into her head?

.

Quickly realizing his brother has no clue what he's talking about and that his response may have come off badly, he jumps in. "She's helping her move the rest of her stuff from Fernando's place to your house. I offered to help, but Jackie said it was mostly light stuff and I that shouldn't bother."

.

Why is Jackie telling Forman things she's not telling him? Is this secret intimacy a holdover from their special time together? The mere thought of that makes his fists balls up.

.

As if reading his mind, Eric continues. "She probably didn't say anything because she knows how you get about Fernando. She didn't even tell me herself—Donna did. She needed to make sure I'd be home in time to be with Luke."

.

Though he has no reason to think otherwise, something about this isn't sitting well with him. The idea of his doll going back to a sterile apartment that was once her gilded cage makes him feel sick to his stomach.

.

"I'm heading over there" he decides.

.

"Do you want me to help? I can leave Luke with our neighbor for an hour or two," he offers.

.

The last thing Hyde wants is to be in the same room as his errant brother, but something in his gut makes him answer yes. "Whatever".

.

Eric smiles, sensing he's hacked a chip in his armor. "I'll meet you there in 15" he says before hanging up the phone.

.

* * *

.

"Ouch! You're hurting my arm" Jackie's voice calls from the enclave bedroom.

.

Donna listens helplessly as she leans against the wall. She has to do something. She can't just let him manhandle her tiny best friend.

.

"Look, you lumberjack! Go away! Do you hear me? Go away right now!" she screams from the other room.

.

"I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you" he threatens.

.

The redhead sighs, recognizing Jackie's plea as a coded message to her. Even while in dire straits, the little midget never fails to surprise her with a selfless act, but then again, Jackie always did have the bravery of a man twice her size. Why is she talking about her in the past tense. No. Donna may be the size of a small RV, but she's kicked the asses of guys much tougher than this guy in the past.

.

She tiptoes over to the kitchen and searches for a weapon. She grabs the biggest knife she can find, but then changes her mind, figuring that far more can go wrong in a knife fight than can go right. As a backup plan she settles on a paring knife that she slides into her boot, and continues on in search of something dull and heavy. Suddenly it comes to her—wine bottles are dull and heavy. This guy is a wine baron, so there must be tons of them lying around. Even Jackie managed to knock him out with a champagne bottle, so it must be foolproof.

.

* * *

.

Fernando prowls around the room silently like a cat. He looks over at Jackie and his gaze softens. "I really do love you. I know you think it was all for show and that I'm some kind of monster, but I do love you as much as it's possible for somebody like me to love," he says sadly.

.

He kneels by her feet and places his head in her lap. "I wish things could be like they were in Mexico" he muses.

.

"I knocked you out with a bottle in Mexico, Fernando" Jackie responds, completely confused.

.

"I meant the first time" he corrects her as he wraps his arms around her waist, causing her to tense up dramatically.

.

"Oh" is the only thing that manages to escape her lips.

.

"You seem nervous around me, morocha. You don't need to be nervous. I'm your husband" he coos as he grabs her hand to give it a kiss.

.

About two kisses in, Fernando notices something sparkling from Jackie's fourth finger and becomes provoked. "What is this?" he asks, furiously throwing her hand back at her.

.

Jackie feels her blood pressure rise and has to remind herself to take a breath of air. "It's...um...a ring" she mumbles quietly.

.

"Yes, I can see it's a ring. Whose ring is this?" he demands to know.

.

She looks towards her feet, unwilling to bring her lover into all of this. "Mine?"

.

He doesn't need her to answer to figure out the truth. It's written all over her face.

.

Out of nowhere, Jackie feels a heavy slap backhanded across her face. Fernando's wedding band his cut her lip and she's now bleeding profusely from it.

.

* * *

.

Hearing the slap, Donna eyes widen and she becomes frantic. She locates a bottle from the cupboard, flips it over so she can grip the neck, and carefully tiptoes towards the bedroom.

.

* * *

.

Hyde screeches into the parking lot only to find Eric already waiting there for him.

.

"I figured you'd want me to wait for you before I went in" he says.

.

Hyde curtly nods his appreciation and they head for the elevator.

.

Eric clicks the button several times, but soon notices that it fails to light up. "Somebody must have pulled the emergency brake" he shrugs as he looks for the staircase.

.

"It's over there" Hyde points, and the two men start the long slog to the fourth floor.

.

* * *

.

Holding the bottle aloft, Donna advances towards the bedroom. Her hands shake slightly from the weight of the bottle, but her nerves are under control. A decade of competitive sports has taught her how to perform when the pressure is on, and boy is it ever on right at this moment.

.

* * *

.

Fernando roughly pulls the ring off of Jackie's finger. "You are a whore! You're married and yet you wear another man's ring on your finger? Do you have any respect for me at all as your husband?" he screams at her incensed, then pegs the ring at her face, nearly missing her eye.

.

"Respect?" she laughs at the absurdity. "How can I respect a husband who blackmails and beats his wife?" she shouts back, feeling she has nothing to lose at this point. "How can I respect you when I never even loved you?"

.

He back-hands her again, harder than the first time which widens the cut on her lip. A bruise starts instantly forming on her jaw. As he raises his arm to strike her again, Donna creeps into the room.

.

As Jackie notices her, Fernando turns to see what has distracted his wife and comes into contact with the wine bottle.

.

Unfortunately, Fernando's sudden movement saves his head from Donna's batting practice, and she only wings him instead.

.

"Ahh!" he screams as the bottle shatters against his shoulder. With his good arm, he catches Donna by the waist and flings her onto the floor. "What is it with you pendejas and bottles? Fuck!".

.

He grabs a gun out of the back of his jeans and shows it to them. "Stop fucking around".

.

Jackie leans her arm over and grabs Donna's hand.

.

* * *

.

Hyde and Eric reach the front door and find it ajar. Finding this suspicious, Eric puts his finger to his lips and Hyde nods in agreement. They creep into the kitchen just in time to hear Jackie scream as Fernando strikes her again.

.

Hyde starts to take off, but is physically held back by his brother, who shakes his head. "Don't go off half-cocked like the young Luke Skywalker, devise a smart plan like post-Yoda Skywalker," he whispers in his ear.

.

Hyde looks like he wants to punch him hard, but receives the message. They can't afford to make stupid mistakes. Not when their women are in jeopardy.

.

Hyde grabs the two biggest knifes in the knife block and hands one to Eric, then signals for him to advance down the opposite side of the hallway.

.

* * *

.

"Fernando, amor, this has nothing to do with Donna. Just let her go. It's about you and me, baby" Jackie coos, in attempt to distract him from his fury towards her friend.

.

"Why would I do that? I haven't decided what I'm going to do to her yet. She's a little big to have any real fun with, but you're still keeping it nice and tight" he groans, now pinning Jackie down onto the bed. "Maybe we should let her watch?"

.

"No. I want to be alone with you. Let's get rid of her so you can show me how much you missed me" she pleads as she feels him grinding his erection into her.

.

"I'm not an idiot, Jackie. You don't want to have sex me any more than I want to let your big friend here leave this this room. But you _are_ going to fuck me and she stays." he insists.

.

"Please let her leave. I'll be so much more into it if we're alone. I don't feel comfortable with her here, amor" she whines, hoping his libido is calling at least some of the shots.

.

"I'm not going anywhere Jackie. If this asshole is going to rape you, he's going to have to do it in front of a witness" Donna announces angrily.

.

Fernando is furious. "Rape? She's my wife! It's her job to fuck me!"

.

Jackie takes his face in her hands. "No. No, look at me. Ignore her" she begs. "I want you".

.

He pulls down her peasant skirt and tosses it on to the floor, then flips her over onto her stomach.

.

Donna is horrified, and can barely contain her fury. Jackie makes eye contact with her and gives her a sad smile.

.

Fernando slides Jackie's underwear down and caresses her behind. "You always did have the nicest ass, morocha" he breathes as he starts to unbuckle his jeans.

.

Hyde and Eric move into the room and in one fell swoop, Eric pulls the gun out of the back of Fernando's jeans, then roughly throws him off of Jackie and onto the floor. Hyde straddles the criminal and starts beating the living tar out of him.

.

Eric grabs Jackie's skirt and throws it over her, then rushes to check on his wife.

.

"You piece of shit!" Hyde screams as he pummels Fernando's beautiful face into a bloody pulp. "If you ever touch my sister or Jackie again I will fucking kill you! If you even look at my wife again, I will tear your balls off and shove them down your motherfucking throat!"

.

"She's MY wife!" Fernando screams, struggling to get out from under Hyde.

.

"She was never yours!" he yells as he knocks him out with a final blow.

.

Hyde grabs the knife and holds it to Fernando's throat.

.

Alarmed, Donna grabs Eric's arm and he rushes over to hold his brother back. "That's enough, man. You don't want to go to jail for killing this prick. It's not worth it."

.

He kneels down beside his lifelong friend and tries to make eye contact. "It's over" he asserts firmly. Hyde's wild blue eyes suddenly snap out of a trance as they meet Eric's calm sea green. The skinny guy holds his gaze the way one might try to stare down a dangerous animal in the wild, and the former burnt-out relents, dropping the knife.

.

Eric smiles and claps his brother on the shoulder. "Come on, man." he says as he grabs his arm and helps him to his feet.

.

"I'm calling the cops" Donna announces as she rushes out of the room towards the kitchen, while Eric grabs an electrical wire from an alarm clock and ties Fernando's hands together behind his back with it.

.

Hyde approaches Jackie, who is slumped over on the bed, gathers her in his arms and rubs her back to soothe her. After being so strong tonight, she finally lets herself go, emptying her grief and tears into her lover's chest. Her body is wracked with sobs, and he just holds her, wordlessly.

.

After what feels like an eternity, he helps her put on her underwear and pull her skirt up, stopping only to kiss her stomach gently. He runs his finger carefully over the bruise on her jaw, and pulls some tissues from a nearby box to clean the blood off of her face.

.

He kisses her forehead, then her eyes, her nose, the bruise on her chin, her cheeks, and then softly glides his mouth over her lips, barely touching them. When he pulls back, she can see tears forming in his eyes, which makes her nervous. Steven never cries.

.

Finally able to form words, he takes a deep breath. "Don't ever lie to me again about where you're going" he scolds her angrily.

.

She nods frantically and begins crying again from an overwhelming sense of shame. He pulls her to his chest again and holds her as tightly as possible. While nuzzling her neck, he whispers "If I lost you, it just wouldn't be worth it anymore, okay?"

.

She smiles into his chest. "I love you too, Puddin'. I'm not going anywhere."

.

**A/N – intense and mushy, but the major drama is over now—we're just left with the baby shower, Edna returning a possible wedding and some babies! Maybe four chapters max, but you never know with me, so don't hold me to it!**

**.**

**The reviews have really slowed down lately, which is why I haven't been updating this one as fast as I normally do. If you'd like me to pay more attention to finishing it, please let me know by leaving some reviews and/or making the story a 'favorite' if you are enjoying it. This is totally not review blackmail, it's just that I'm juggling a few stories at once and if not too many people are reading this I'll focus on the ones that seem more popular. Please let me know if you're out there by reviewing!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Sorry—no smut to be found here. Just your average T rating for Hyde's potty mouth. However, this is a long ass chapter, so use the potty beforehand folks.**

**.**

**CHAPTER 31**

.

Jackie is wearing a bath robe and making herself some coffee. Hyde ambles into the kitchen and embraces her from behind, rubbing her belly while she works.

.

"You feeling okay today?" he asks.

.

She shrugs. "Other than not being able to leave the house...I'm having Angie come here instead."

.

He turns her around and runs his thumb gently over her bruised jaw, causing her to wince slightly.

.

"I'm sorry baby" he frowns before placing a soft kiss on her bruise as well as her split lip.

.

"I refuse to complain. It could've been much worse if you hadn't gotten there in time" she admits, looking contrite.

.

He cups her face in his hands, his sky blue eyes taking in every feature as if he were trying to commit it to memory. He exhales loudly in relief and kisses her once more.

.

"Ouch" she cringes. "God, between our various Fernando-related beatings, we've barely been able to 'prove our love' to each other this entire pregnancy" she pouts, jutting out her injured bottom lip.

.

"Clearly you can't get enough of me, but I'm sure we can do something about that" he grins, sliding both of his hands down the back of her pajama bottoms to grab her bare ass.

.

Just then, the door opens and Angie comes flying in. "You know, you really shouldn't keep your door unlocked. Any crazy person off the street could let themselves in and attack you" she warns.

.

Jackie laughs at the irony. "Well, I knew you were coming and I'm fat and slow now, so I figured it would save me a trip to the door if I left it unlocked for you."

.

Angie catches a glimpse of her brother feeling his girlfriend's butt. "Hello? Gross Steven. Other people are in the room, you horndog" she says, pulling a face as she grabs a mug from the cabinet and fills it with coffee.

.

He retracts his hands from the back of Jackie's pants and winks to let he know they'll be picking this back up later.

.

"I had the most wonderful and eventful evening last night!" she screams, full of enthusiasm and emotion.

.

"Pretty sure I can top yours for eventfulness" Jackie sighs. "Unfortunately it wasn't too wonderful" she frowns.

.

"I don't think you can" Angie sings happily as her friend turns around, revealing her beat up face. "Holy crap! I take that back. What the hell happened to your jaw? Were you mugged last night or something?"

.

Jackie looks at Hyde uneasily, then back to his sister. "I think you'd better sit down for this."

.

Angie does as she's told, though she can tell by their expressions that this has something to do with her, and the only dangerous thing they all have in common is a certain hard-bodied Argentinean with a silver tongue and a cruel streak.

.

"I'm guessing this has to do with Fernando" she ventures, wrapping her arms around her body protectively.

.

"Jackie went to her old apartment last night to get the last of her stuff and he was there" Hyde starts.

.

"You went alone?" Angie looks at her like she's crazy. "You let her?"

.

"Yes she did. She lied to me about where she was going and then went there alone. She's as stupid as she is beautiful, apparently" he remarks.

.

Jackie smiles at him seductively. "You think I'm beautiful?"

.

"Focus" he orders her.

.

"He's not telling it right. I wasn't alone, I had Donna meet me there" she says indignantly.

.

"Right, because the only thing smarter than going over there alone at seven months pregnant is having a woman who is eight months pregnant meet you there" he deadpans.

.

"What happened? Did you—did he—was he caught?" the mocha-skinned beauty asks nervously, while wringing her hands.

.

"My Steven knocked him out" Jackie brags proudly as she kisses his bruised knuckles.

.

Angie breathes a huge sigh of relief. "And he's been arrested?"

.

"His fancy ass is probably being deloused as we speak" her brother gloats. "But don't feel bad for him, I'm sure somebody as man-pretty as Fernando should have a boyfriend in no time."

.

She gets excited, nearly hopping out of her chair. "Oooh, and get this—not only is he being brought up on charges of aggravated assault and attempted rape-"

.

Angie furrows her brow and Jackie averts her eyes. "He tried to do that...to you?"

.

She quickly nods then begins speaking again, hoping to push the bad memories out of her her mind by not dwelling. "But you know, the charges you filed against him were in already in the system, so when they booked him an alert popped up and now he's going to have to face those charges too."

.

She smiles tentatively.

.

"And, do you remember all of those ledgers Michael stole out of Fernando's hotel room in Tampico? Well, it turns out he was importing more than wine from Latin America!" she reveals. "He's a freaking drug trafficker. I was married to Manuel Noriega!"

.

"El douchebag won't be seeing unfiltered sunshine for quite some time" Hyde says, as he leans over to plant a reassuring kiss on his girlfriend's shoulder.

.

Angie starts crying.

.

Hyde's face falls. "I, uh...thought this would make you happy."

.

She nods vigorously. "This is the best day of my life" she whispers quietly. "These are happy tears".

.

Triggered by her tears, Jackie starts crying too.

.

"Aw, crap. Come here." he says, pulling his sister into a hug as she cries it out on his shoulder.

.

She pulls it together and then smiles radiantly at them both.

.

Jackie looks at her with suspicion as she dabs her eyes dry with Hyde's shirt. "What were you going to tell me when you first got here?"

.

Angie blushes. "Fez asked me to marry him this morning—and I said yes" she beams.

.

They are both gobsmacked.

.

"But-last night was your first date! How good in bed _are_ you?" the brunette pixie asks her friend directly, causing her to laugh.

.

Hyde shoots Jackie a disgusted look. "Look Ange, Fez is one of my closest friends but this is kind of sudden, don't you think?"

.

"You and Jackie got engaged really quickly the first time around" she retorts.

.

"Yeah, but we dated for two years before that and I'd been in love with her for almost half my life" he explains, as Jackie squeezes his hand softly and nuzzles his arm.

.

"Fez and I have been great friends for over a year and he's been living at my place for a whole month now. I know exactly who he is and I know for sure how I feel about him" she insists. "I love him!" she exclaims.

.

"Well, I think it's romantic" Jackie squeals.

.

"Yeah, you would" Hyde balks. "I think it's fucking crazy. What's the rush?"

.

Angie stops to ponder his question. "I guess when you find the person you want to spend forever with, you want forever to start right away. I just know he's the one."

.

"How?" Hyde asks skeptically.

.

"How do you know Jackie's the one?" she challenges him.

.

Jackie perks up and looks toward her lover for his answer.

.

Hyde squirms restlessly, as he's unable to voice his innermost thoughts. "I guess, because, I uh...Fine. You love Fez" he accepts begrudgingly.

.

Disappointed by his lack of answer, Jackie shakes it off and refocuses on Angie. She leaps from her chair to embrace her friend warmly. "I am so excited for you two! Fez is going to make you really happy. He's the best guy I know."

.

"Hey!" Hyde grumbles.

.

Jackie sits on his lap and wraps her arms around his neck. "Except for you, Puddin' Pop, but you're in a league of your own" she says as she kisses him. "Why don't you come over tonight for a drink and we'll all celebrate? I'll call Donna and Eric too" she offers Angie.

.

"I'd love that" she peeps.

.

"Were you planning on running any of this past me?" he asks his girlfriend.

.

She laughs. "Why would I do that?"

.

"Do you mind if I call Fez? I told him I'd call once I told you guys" she explains as she heads for their phone by the couch.

.

Jackie scoots back over to her own chair and drinks her orange juice silently as Hyde unflinchingly stares at her, making her uncomfortable. "Can you stop that, please?"

.

He takes the glass of juice out of her hand and puts it on the table. "Just because I have trouble saying it in front of other people doesn't mean I don't know" he confides.

.

The corners of her mouth turn up slightly at his admission. "I know that" she says, trying to assure him.

.

"I know you're the one for me Jackie, because nothing makes me happy when you're not with me, okay?" he tells her. "I know from personal experience."

.

Her face softens as she slides over onto his lap again and pulls herself close, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "Get rid of your sister" she demands hotly into his ear as she hungrily eyes his chest.

.

* * *

.

Eric walks into his bedroom with Luke on his back and deposits his son into the empty spot next to his wife on the bed. He immediately tries to climb onto his mommy's belly.

.

"You are a camel" he tells her as Eric pulls him off of the bump and deposits him on the floor to play with a few toys.

.

"Mommy is not a camel" he explains to his child firmly. "She just looks a little bit like one."

.

Donna glares at him.

.

"I...um...you know, the hump and everything, and...yeah, I'll just shut up now" he decides, feeling himself get twitchy. "You're pretty" he smiles broadly with teeth.

.

"Give it up, Forman" she laughs as she rolls on her side. "Ugh. I'm ready to evict this kid already" she complains.

.

"You know, African elephants are pregnant for 22 months" he informs her.

.

"Glad you got some useful knowledge out of your experience there" she smirks.

.

Eric lays himself down next to her and rubs her belly. "Sorry that the fruit of my loins is giving you so much trouble" he smirks with half-lidded eyes.

.

"Gross" she says, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

.

"That's why I said it" he grins impishly.

.

"Is it wrong that I want to eat fruit now?" she wonders out loud.

.

"Do you want me to get you some?" he offers.

.

"Yeah, but I want you to stay here a bit with me, first" she says, rubbing the tops of his hands.

.

He brushes a few strands of red hair out of his wife's face and tucks them behind her ear. "You really do make a beautiful preggo" he sighs.

.

"Tell that to Jackie" she laughs.

.

His face falls at the mention of her name.

.

"Alright, I've really had it up to here with this" she grouses. "Can you please just be honest with me?"

.

"What do you mean?" he asks, playing dumb.

.

"What's the real reason you're not speaking to Hyde" she questions.

.

"Actually, he's the one not speaking to me" he insists.

.

"Same thing" she huffs.

.

"It really isn't" he asserts.

.

"Fine. Then what does he think you did to him that would make him stop talking to a man whom he considers to be his brother?" she demands to know.

.

"It's nothing" he says, his voice cracking slightly. "Really, I don't want you to get all worked up about something so stupid" he says evasively.

.

"It's nothing? Just something stupid? Really?" she responds skeptically. "I don't believe that. Why can't you just be honest with me, Eric?"

.

"Why are you so interested? You should be worrying about your high-risk pregnancy right now and not who I'm fighting with" he suggests irritatedly.

.

Donna bolts upright. "Okay, now I'm pissed" she says angrily.

.

He sits up to meet her. "What do you want me to say, Donna?" he asks desperately, begging her for mercy with his eyes.

.

Her green eyes flicker with anger. "I want you to be honest with me. I want you to _want_ to be honest with me and I know you're lying!" she seethes, shaking her head in disbelief.

.

"Honey, I don't want to upset you or add stress, okay? I love you" he says with intensity, grabbing her hands.

.

"Eric...I _know..._" she admits ominously.

.

His eyes shift nervously towards the door and then back to his wife. "Know?" he tries to play dumb.

.

Her expression breaks as she attempts to hold back the dam of tears. "I know about Tampico" she says flatly.

.

"I told you everything that happened in Tampico" he insists, believing himself to be honest.

.

"I'm talking about the first time you went to Tampico. With Jackie" she sighs, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth.

.

Eric's face falls as shame and embarrassment take overtake his body. "Oh..."

.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asks.

.

"I...um. Come on, Donna, you know why I didn't tell you. We'd just gotten back together, I didn't want to risk losing you over something that didn't mean anything to me" he confesses.

.

"You're going with that? It meant nothing?" she challenges.

.

He looks down, unable to meet the heat of her gaze. "No. It meant something. Of course it did, but not in the way you think. She helped me find myself. I was lost and she helped me find my way back to you" he admits.

.

"But why didn't you ever tell me? I mean, I guess I can understand why you didn't say anything back when it happened, but what about last month or last year? Do you really think I would leave you over a fling you had almost a decade ago?" she asks, putting him on the spot.

.

"I didn't want to risk it. What's the point of me telling you when it doesn't affect us today? That information would only hurt you" he explains. "She's your best friend."

.

"No, you're my best friend" she weeps, finally letting the dam break loose. "I just thought we'd always be honest with each other."

.

He looks at her longingly as he wipes the tears from her eyes with his thumbs. "Please don't cry, honey. I wasn't trying to get away with anything, I just didn't want to upset you. I've only ever loved you. You're it for me, you always have been."

.

She nods sadly, letting her tears fall down onto her large belly. "Just promise me you'll always tell me the truth about everything, from now on."

.

He pulls her into his arms and rocks her, stroking her back until he feels her muscles start to relax. He kisses the top of her head, then rains more kisses down onto her cheeks, nose and eyes. "I promise to always tell you the truth...especially when I have sex with any of your close friends" he swears, trying not to laugh.

.

She gives him a look that could cut glass.

.

"Too soon?" he asks nervously.

.

She frogs his arm hard.

.

"Ow! Stop. Baby, I promise. I do. I won't keep anything from you again." he says sincerely. "And for the record, you're my best friend too, in addition to being my hottest friend" he smiles sweetly.

.

"Okay" she nods as he tentatively moves in to kiss her, barely brushing his lips up against hers. She wraps her arms around his torso and pulls him closer, deepening the kiss.

.

Eric stops for a moment and coughs, pointing to their oblivious son playing on the floor beside them. "Nap time?"

.

"He looks very tired" she says with a lustful expression.

.

"He can barely keep his eyes open" he agrees, eyes clouding over with want for her.

.

She leans over to touch her little boy's head. "Put Luke down for a nap...then bring me some fruit, and then you can give me that other thing" she orders.

.

"What other thing?" he asks coyly.

.

She purses her lips seductively.

.

He salutes her. "As you wish, m'lady".

.

* * *

.

Hyde is clomping around the apartment with a giant scowl on his face. He doesn't really care that she wants to throw a party, but he'd rather not have an encounter with his backstabbing sometimes-brother. Intellectually he gets what went on between Eric and Jackie-and sure, it was a hundred years ago, but the thought of watching them chitchat together knowing that he's had his hands all over her is making him physically ill.

.

Jackie emerges from the bathroom, completely resplendent as usual. She's even managed to cover up the bruising on her face with makeup, so her swollen lip is really the only visual evidence of last night's attack. She feels better with it all covered up, because the longer it's there the longer she has to relive the nightmare of her near violation.

.

Her eyes twinkle as she catches her man checking out her legs. Sure, her mint green mini-dress is probably a bit too short for a lady in her stage of pregnancy, but she can pull it off, so why shouldn't she? Besides, Steven is sure as hell enjoying the view.

.

He shakes his head. "Too short" he decides, gesturing to her legs.

.

"And?" she challenges him.

.

"I don't need everybody getting a good look at what's mine, okay?" he tells her, knowing the caveman act usually turns her on.

.

"Your legs are covered, so 'what's yours' is safe from prying eyes. I, on the other hand, want to show off what's mine. With this pregnancy making every part of me fat and my face all battered, I only have my legs left Steven, so you'd better believe they're getting highlighted" she informs him.

.

"Come on doll, I'm serious" he says gravely.

.

"So am I" she responds defiantly.

.

His jaw flexes as he tries to stare her down. "Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but your legs look fat in that dress".

.

Her eyes narrow with spite and he's pretty sure he can see a thin trail of smoke emanating from her ears. "Oh it is _SO_ on, baby. You think this dress is short? Well, hold onto your hat, because you'll be begging me to put this thing back on when you see what I have in store for you!" she shouts as she storms off into the bedroom to change.

.

Okay, that approach backfired like old jalopy. He anxiously paces the floorboards as he tries to figure out where he went wrong. Probably when demanded she change her clothes, like some Cro-Magnon from the 1950's? Or maybe when he implied that he owned her like property? Or perhaps it was when he called her fat? So many valid choices.

.

What is he supposed to do though? Both Eric and Fez are coming over, and though neither of them have current designs on Jackie, they both wanted to fuck her at some point. And one of them did.

.

"Baby, I'm sorry! Please don't change your dress. I love it!" he begs, knowing she's going to make him pay dearly for his words.

.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you from the other room" she sighs as she enters wearing an extremely low cut wine-colored number with a deep slit up each side. "I decided you were right about wearing such a short dress, so I changed" she smirks, as she flounces past him to get a glass of water.

.

Yep, this is worse. This new dress is actually giving him chest pains.

.

He groans as he follows her towards the sink. "You've made your point, doll. Will you please change back into the green dress now?"

.

"No baby, you have made your point. You were right about that old green thing, too much of my disgusting fat legs were showing. Luckily for me, some parts of a woman's body look good when they get fat" she coos, blithely admiring her newly ample rack, lovingly on display.

.

"This isn't over" he threatens coolly.

.

The doorbell rings and an evil smile creeps across Jackie's lips. "Looks like you're wrong there" she says, licking her lips. "Coming!" she screams abrasively toward the guests waiting on the other side of the door.

.

She flings the door open widely revealing Eric and Donna, who is wearing a red satin dress reminiscent of a potato sack.

.

"Damn Jackie" Donna frowns as she walks inside. "It's like it's your mission to make me look like a fatso during this pregnancy" she complains. "And before you say something about what I'm wearing, let me preempt you by telling you that this is literally the only thing in my entire closet that still fits."

.

Jackie throws her arm around her friend's waist. "At least it's not flannel" she replies buoyantly with a smile in an attempt to make Donna feel more comfortable. Not everybody can work a pregnancy like Jackie Burkhart, so why fault her for that?

.

Eric hands her a bottle of French Merlot. "You look...um..." he searches for an adjective that's both flattering and yet not so complimentary that it would upset his wife and get his ass kicked by his brother. "...good" he says with a satisfied smile.

.

Hyde bristles from the opposite side of the room, where he opens up a bottle of Heineken.

.

"I need to talk to you" Donna whispers to her best friend through clenched teeth.

.

"I'm going to help Donna reapply her makeup...from scratch" Jackie announces, gesturing to the redhead's face derisively. "We'll be in the bathroom. It'll probably be a while" she sighs while thoughtfully assessing the amount of repair work she'll need to do.

.

Donna gives the midget the side eye and grabs her arm roughly. "You are so lucky you tried to sacrifice your life for me last night, you pygmy, or I'd be slapping the hell out of you right now."

.

"Jesus Donna. Put your raging hormones back in the cage." she whines as she's dragged off to the bathroom.

.

Hyde leans against the counter drinking his beer while Eric stands awkwardly in the middle of the room.

.

"Do you want a beer, man?" Hyde asks, not wanting to be a total asshole.

.

"God yes!" Eric responds, relieved that he'll be able to get some alcohol in his system soon to numb his nerves.

.

The Zenmaster pops the cap off of another beer and hands it to his friend, who nods graciously. They drink for the next several minutes in abject silence, both leaning against the counter side-by-side.

.

Fantasizing about shedding his skin and running for the hills, Eric decides to break the ice instead. "Was, uh, was Jackie doing okay when you got her home? She had a pretty rough night."

.

Hyde wonders how he's supposed to take this. Why is he so interested in how Jackie is doing? Does he still want her? It was obvious he was checking out her tits when he first walked through the door.

.

"She's fine. Donna?" he inquires, hoping desperately for the girls to return soon.

.

"A little bit of false labor when we got home, but once she got a good night of sleep it let up" he says.

.

They both absentmindedly nod as they pretend not to notice the elephant in the room.

.

Feeling the need to rip the band-aid off and end this torture, Eric finally cracks. "So...I spoke to Donna about, you know..." he says, letting his sentence trail off.

.

One arched eyebrow flies up in the skinny man's direction.

.

"You know what I'm referring to, right?" he asks, praying the ex-hippie won't make him spell it out.

.

"Uh...yeah" he responds without betraying his emotion. "Jackie and I had big plans to burn you about that, but now that you know that Donna knows, it kind of takes the fun out of it."

.

Relief flows through Eric's body like a hit of heroin and he almost smiles. "I'm sorry man. I really am. I know there's really nothing I can say that will make it okay, but I just want you to know that I wasn't trying to mess with you, it just happened. I fucked up. Donna dumped me 30 minutes after she kissed me hello and you and Jackie had just started WWIII in my driveway. Plus, we were just so high all week...we barely knew what was happening," he explains.

.

"I can see how everything could've gone down, and I want to get past it, man, but I just can't help but feel you dogged me. You were supposed to be my brother" Hyde says, his Zen mask starting to slip.

.

Eric takes another sip of liquid courage. "We talked about you the whole time, you know. It was never about wanting each other, she was just so sad and so very...broken."

.

"I broke her" he admits definitively with a slight nod of the head.

.

"I was kind of lost after I came back from Africa and when I saw how much you'd all changed for the worse, I kind of freaked out. You guys really sucked." he laughs bitterly, shaking his head at the memory. "After what went down in the driveway with you two, I just felt like she was my responsibility, you know? Nobody else was looking out for her and there's no doubt in my mind something bad would have happened to her if she'd stayed. She needed to get away."

.

"Away from me" Hyde adds remorsefully.

.

"That's right" he sighs, running his hands through his hair. "I didn't think you had any business even talking to her, much less trying to be with her after the cruel shit you said that night. I guess I didn't factor you into my decision, because I figured there was zero chance of her ever giving you the time of day again. Boy was I wrong." he shrugs.

.

He's introspective for a while as he absorbs and processes his friend's confession. "You know what man? You're right. The guy I used to be—that guy—had no fucking business being around Jackie, and he didn't deserve your loyalty. She did. You gave her what she needed to get through the inferno, and I can't fault you for it. I can't." he says authoritatively, while nervously peeling the label off of his empty beer bottle to avoid eye contact.

.

Eric exhales and wets his whistle. "I wouldn't dream of screwing over _this_ Hyde, however," he attempts to reassure, pointing to the man at his right. "Just so we're clear."

.

Hyde smirks. "If you tried to screw over this Hyde you'd be wearing your balls as a necklace."

.

"Well, Donna was kind of hinting that she wanted me to buy her a necklace as a push present" he laughs. "Listen, I know you're going to call me Erica and imply that I'm a girl for telling you this, but I think I've come to terms with the slurs over the years, so I'm going to do what I want anyway" he says bravely, before swallowing the rest of his beer. "The way you changed over the past few years—you really manned up and I'm proud to call you my brother now. I'd do anything for you, you know." he discloses, too embarrassed to look up after his declaration.

.

Zen be damned, Steven Hyde swallows a lump of emotion and smiles broadly to himself. "You already have, man" he says as he claps his brother on the back before walking over to the fridge to retrieve more beer.

.

**A/N – This was a really tough one to write. I'm trying to resolve everybody's issues before the end without it becoming one giant angst-fest, but it's proving difficult and I apologize if the scenes are all over the map and uneven.**

**.**

**It was also kind of hard to write a heart-to-heart with Mr. Hyde while keeping him in character. Hopefully he didn't seem to OOC to you. It's such a fine line between showing how he's matured over the years yet still keeping him true to his original character. I tried my best! Let me know if I was successful by (please!) reviewing the chapter - and feel free to make this story a favorite if it tickles your fancy.**


	32. Chapter 32

**I know this update wasn't as quick as the last ones, but I swear I'm finishing it, just also working on a few other fics. We're almost at the end.**

**BTW this chapter is still rated T. There's a little sexy business but nothing really graphic.**

**.**

**CHAPTER 32**

.

Angie and Fez are drinking champagne near the bay window, while Jackie sits on the windowsill talking to them.

.

"And then what happened?" she asks, never one to miss a single romantic detail.

.

"And then he just looked at me and said- -" Angie looks at Fez with stars in her eyes.

.

He slips his arm around her waist. "- -I said that I never wanted to wake up in any other bed but the one she's in for the rest of my life."

.

"And I didn't understand what he was saying, because I'd already asked him to move in with me" she explains.

.

"So I grabbed a handful of M&Ms and I spelled out 'MARRY ME' on her stomach in the orange ones. My baby loves the color orange—like a dandelion." he says as he finishes the rest of his champagne.

.

"Or a Creamsicle!" she interjects.

.

He looks at her admiringly. "And _this,_ is why I must marry her."

.

Jackie sighs wistfully at their story before noticing Fez's empty glass. "Let me get you a refill," she offers as she starts to stand.

.

"Don't you dare!" Angie orders her firmly. "Sit your pregnant ass down and let me do that. I don't know what kind of voodoo you did with your makeup to cover up your bruises, but I know what it looks like under there and you need to take it easy" she frowns.

.

She gives Fez her best doe eyes. "Anything else pumpkin?" she coos as she taps his empty glass.

.

"Just you, bunny, so hurry back" he smiles as he kisses her sweetly on the lips.

.

Jackie places her hand on her heart and sighs again. "You two are the cutest."

.

Fez nods. "We are amazingly cute, it's true."

.

"And I've never seen you so happy. Either of you. So...is there anything you want to say to me?" she leans in towards him.

.

He rolls his eyes. "Thank you Jackie for hooking me up with Angie."

.

"And...?" she continues, rotating her hand in a circle to egg him on.

.

"And even though I love Angie now, you will always be my first goddess" he complies.

.

She squeals and claps her hands and then throws her arms around him.

.

He looks down the front of her dress "However, I think you may have dethroned Donna as the second Juggs-a-poppin'."

.

She twirls in a circle. "You like?"

.

"I have eyes, woman! Of course I like!" he says almost angrily. "I wonder how long it will take before Angie lets me get her pregnant" he muses while still staring at Jackie's breasts.

.

From across the room Hyde's jaw clenches as he crosses his arms across his chest.

.

"Uh-oh" Donna says with amusement. "I know that look. What'd Jackie do now?"

.

Eric turns to see what the problem is and then starts to laugh. "I'm going to guess that Hyde is unhappy with Jackie's choice of wardrobe."

.

Donna looks over. "What's wrong with it? I think she looks pretty."

.

"Yeah, too pretty. It's giving that foreign pervert 'needs'" Hyde grumbles.

.

"Ah-ah- don't you mean pervert-in-law?" Eric shoots his brother a smug look.

.

"Looks like that dress is giving everybody needs" she smiles, mocking Hyde's angry stare.

.

"I'll be right back" he snaps as he power walks over to the other side of the room, lifts an unsuspecting Jackie from the window seat and carries her off into their bedroom, much to her protest.

.

Angie shrugs. "Those two are _not _coming back any time soon. Who wants to raid their fridge?"

.

Donna perks up. "Finally!"

.

* * *

.

Hyde deposits Jackie on her feet, then shuts and locks their door and positions himself in front of it, arms crossed.

.

"Is something wrong?" Jackie wonders not-so-innocently.

.

"Take it off" he demands calmly.

.

"Take what off?" she asks, trying to make this difficult for him.

.

"Strip. Now." he orders her.

.

Jackie smirks. "Now if you wanted a stripper Steven, you probably should have stayed with Sam."

.

He flinches, then drops his arms to his side. "That's it!" he says as he bounds over to her fiancee and drags the zipper down on the back of her dress, letting it the fabric slide down her body and drop unceremoniously to the floor.

.

Jackie rests her hands on her hips and glares at him.

.

He stares back, unflinchingly.

.

Casually, she seductively slides her bra straps down then unclips the back of the bra and flings it at her man's head.

.

Hyde removes her bra from his face and tosses it to the ground. "You forgot something" he notes, pointing to her underwear.

.

Jackie smirks. "Just remember, you are not in the champagne room, so there is a no-touching policy" she informs him as she slowly slides her panties to the ground and steps out of them, leaving her naked except for her shoes.

.

Hyde's breathing becomes labored as he takes in every inch of her naked form.

.

Enjoying the torment, Jackie sits on the edge of the bed and arranges herself in a sexy lounging position.

.

Like a hunter stalking his prey, he slowly meanders to the bedside and stands over her. "You've been very bad tonight, Jackie" he warns.

.

She shrugs petulantly. "How bad?"

.

Hyde grins and unbuckles his belt. "Very, very bad" he says as he slides his jeans to the floor and removes his button down shirt.

.

"You forgot something" she observes, as she fixes her eyes on his boxers.

.

He slides them down, then tosses them at her head.

.

"Hey!" she laughs, grabbing them in mid air before they hit her.

.

He crawls onto the bed and hovers over her.

.

"So, the dress got you really mad, huh?" she smiles victoriously.

.

"Nope" he responds. "It got me horny" he says grinning cheekily.

.

"This was just all an excuse to get me into bed?" she asks.

.

"I need an excuse?" he retorts.

.

"In the middle of a party, you do" she says.

.

"You shouldn't have worn such a hot dress than" he smirks.

.

"Would you have left me alone if I'd worn the green one?" she questions.

.

"I would have made you take off a sack dress baby. I just wanted to get you alone". He leans over her right breast and opens his mouth, letting his tongue wet his lips first.

.

She sinks back into the bed and waits with heightened anticipation to be taken.

.

Instead of putting his mouth on her he blows a stream of hot air onto her nipple and then follows it up closely with a puff of cold.

.

She looks at him quizzically.

.

"No touching policy still in effect?" he asks, a self-satisfied look on his face.

.

"Yes" she answers, pouting slightly.

.

He does the same to her other nipple. "Now?"

.

Swooning, she continues to play hard-to-get. "Yep".

.

He smiles and lowers his head down her body, sending hot air down her stomach. He spreads her knees and leans his head between them, then does the same hot/cold air torture between her legs. "How about now?" he asks, looking up at her expectantly.

.

Losing her resolve she finally breaks. "You may now enter the champagne room."

.

Hyde smirks. "Is that what we're calling it nowadays?" he asks as he waggles his eyebrows.

.

* * *

.

Donna and Angie are sharing a quart of mint chocolate chip ice cream as their men drink up the remaining bottles of champagne.

.

Eric pops the cork on another bottle and pours three glasses.

.

"Do you even think you should be going to the shower? It's in less than a week and you look like you're about to drop" Angie asks Donna with concern.

.

"Thank you! This is what I've been saying" Eric complains as he hands Angie her drink.

.

"The shower is in less than a week and it's only a few hours drive away. Plus, my dad already got tickets to fly in that weekend to see Luke" she rationalizes.

.

"Well, I don't like it" he grumbles.

.

"I'm looking forward to seeing everybody. It's been ages since we've been back" she says.

.

"Too bad the only circle we'll be allowed to hit will be for Duck Duck Goose" Fez pouts. "Stupid Kelso babies."

.

"You forgot Luke" Donna reminds him.

.

"Yes, we wouldn't want you to forget to include our son in your hostile baby rant" Eric deadpans.

.

Angie winces. "Sorry guys. He gets like this sometimes when he has low blood sugar" she informs them as she strokes his hand. "All he's had today is a pack of M&Ms and a Mars bar."

.

"And a Twinkie" he pouts.

.

"Well, do you want to go out to dinner?" Eric suggests.

.

"What about-?" Donna asks while signaling toward Hyde and Jackie's bedroom with her head.

.

"Oh those two are not going to be out for a while. Trust me. This has happened to me way too many times and they know by now that I'm going to leave their horny asses here if they don't come out by the time I want to go somewhere." she carps.

.

'Come on, they can't be that long" Eric balks.

.

From the other room a heavy, rhythmical banging can be heard, accompanied by the sounds of Jackie moaning.

.

"Maybe we should leave them a note," Donna quickly suggests as she and Angie reach for their handbags.

.

* * *

.

The next morning Jackie and Hyde are on their way to the cancer clinic for a wellness checkup. She stares out of the car window pensively as she rubs her belly.

.

Hyde looks over at his fiance and his heart swells. After everything they've been through, they've made it to the other side intact. If he had to be honest with himself, he didn't think they ever would have. He's made a lot of mistakes in his short life and most of them have had to do with the woman sitting next to him, yet here she is in spite of it all.

.

He makes an impromptu declaration. "I love you, Jackie".

.

She turns her face toward him and it's like the sun coming out from behind the clouds again. "What was that for?" she asks, wary of his uncharacteristic outburst.

.

"Do I need a reason to say it?" he challenges.

.

"Usually" she replies honestly.

.

His chest tightens a bit as he realizes how he's basically forced her to lower expectations of him over the years. He doesn't want to be that guy anymore. Her loyalty warrants more than that. "That's going to change from now on" he announces.

.

She smiles beatifically and rests her hand on his. "Baby, I know you love me. I don't want you to do something that makes you uncomfortable."

.

"I've asked you to do a lot of things that have made you uncomfortable" he retorts.

.

"Those are things I've wanted to do, though" she explains.

.

"Yeah? Well, I want to do this" he decides. "Besides, I should get good at it before the baby's born. I don't want our little girl to ever wonder, you know, like we did."

.

She leans over and kisses his cheek as he gives her hand a light squeeze.

.

* * *

.

As they enter the doctor's office hand in hand, Hyde can see Jackie tense up. He wraps his arm around her waist and ushers her inside.

.

As they check in, a familiar voice can be heard from behind the office partition.

.

"Sorry man! I didn't realize you meant only 20 kg. I could've sworn I saw an extra zero there," Leo apologizes to the on-call pharmacist. "I'll just take the rest to my buddies on the commune."

.

Jackie grabs her man's arm and looks at him with excitement.

.

Leo walks into the waiting area and grins widely upon seeing his friend. "Hey man, what are you doing here?" he asks.

.

"I'm here for a check up" he tells him as they hug.

.

"For what?" the old hippie wonders.

.

"Leo man, I had cancer, remember?" he asks, trying to jog the old man's memory. "I was in New Orleans".

.

"No way, man - - I live in New Orleans now!" Leo responds excitedly before noticing Jackie. "Loud girl? He found you!"

.

Jackie throws her arms around him and hugs tightly. "It's really great to see you, Leo."

.

"Yeah. You look like you put on a few pounds" he says, referring to her belly.

.

"Yeah, I'm in my last trimester" she reveals.

.

"Wow, that's so cool. When do you graduate?" he wonders.

.

"No Leo, I'm pregnant" she corrects him, trying not to laugh.

.

Leo looks at Hyde seriously. "I swear I never touched her."

.

"Jackie's baby is mine, Leo. We're gonna get hitched soon" he explains.

.

He looks downtrodden. "But what about Loud Girl?" he gestures to Jackie. "You love her."

.

"Loud Girl_ is _Jackie, man" he clarifies as Jackie waves.

.

"Yeah? That's far out!" he yells. "Can I still have her number though?"

.

"Leo, I'm pregnant!" Jackie laughs.

.

"That's never stopped me before" he shrugs.

.

"Steven Hyde?" a nurse calls his name from the clinic desk.

.

"Hey man, we've got to go in now, but are you going to hang around for a while?" he asks

.

"I'll wait here. Can you believe they have rooms for that? That's weird, right?" he says as he plops down into a chair.

.

Jackie and Hyde walk inside of the office and are led to an exam room.

.

* * *

.

Hyde sits in the guest chair with Jackie on his lap, rather than lying on the table. His leg is bouncing up and down frenetically as he rubs her belly.

.

"I think you're getting her dizzy" Jackie warns as she places a firm hand on his knee to steady him.

.

"Oh. Sorry." he says mindlessly as he's preoccupied with other thoughts.

.

She turns around to look at him, taking his face in her hands. "I know you're going to be okay" she assures him.

.

"You can't say that" he replies tersely.

.

"Sure I can. You told me to trust you about the baby and I did, so now you have to trust me" she says adamantly, staring into his uncovered eyes.

.

He looks at her for a while then sigh reluctantly. "Fine".

.

The doctor knock on the door and walks into the room holding Hyde's medical chart. "How are you feeling, Mr. Hyde?" he asks.

.

"It's just Hyde-no mister- and I feel fine" he responds.

.

"Good, good." the doctor tells him as he reviews the information in his chart. "So you had the tests done last week right?"

.

"Yep" he confirms and takes a deep breath nervously.

.

Jackie squeezes his hand.

.

"Well, according to the tests, you're still completely cancer-free. Congratulations" he smiles warmly.

.

Jackie throws her arms around his neck and whispers in his ear "I told you so".

.

He laughs at her inability to let that kind of opportunity slide. "Yeah, you did."

.

"Just keep doing what you're doing. Follow the food restrictions as carefully as you can and continue drinking the tea once daily. We will see you in six months." the doctor shakes his hand.

.

"Wait! How long until we know for sure that it won't come back?" she questions.

.

The doctor closes the file and slips it in a holder on the back of the door. "After three years it's very unlikely to return and after five years the chances are very slim" he informs her.

.

"Thank you" Jackie says as she hugs the unsuspecting doctor.

.

"Come on, baby" Hyde urges, pulling her off of him. "Let the man breathe" he jokes as he guides her outside.

.

* * *

.

The moment they're out in the daylight Jackie throws her arms around Hyde and kisses him long and hard. When she pulls back, she has tears in her eyes.

.

Hyde smiles at his overemotional partner and wipes her tears away. He still can't believe anybody loves him enough to cry just because they hear he's well. "It's going to be unicorns and rainbows from here on out, doll" he teases.

.

She playfully slaps his arm. "It had better be" she sniffs as she throws herself back into his embrace.

.

He kisses the top of her head and wonders how much longer it will be until her annulment goes through.

.

* * *

.

Five days later and they have all traveled to Point Place for Jackie's shower.

.

Jackie and Hyde leave the car to walk up the driveway to the Forman's house. As they reach the door, Hyde turns around and runs back to the car, reminding Leo to get out of the back seat.

.

"Woah man, where are we?" Leo wonders, completely surprised by his surroundings.

.

"We're in Point Place, man. You used to live here?" he reminds his old friend.

.

"I did? Cool, man" he smiles and follows his buddy up the walkway.

.

Kitty answers the door before they even have a chance to ring the bell. "You have no idea how excited I am to see you two!" she screams, almost vibrating with excitement.

.

"Hey mom" Hyde kisses Kitty on the cheek and walks inside.

.

"Hi Kitty. I'm so sorry" she grimaces as she follows Hyde inside.

.

"About what, honey?" the older woman is confused until she notices Leo standing behind Jackie.

.

"Leo! What a nice surprise. Red will be thrilled!" she laughs worriedly as she closes the door behind him.

.

* * *

.

Donna and Eric are lounging on the living room couch with Luke as Red reads quietly in his chair.

.

"Hey strangers" Donna says jokingly as she waves from the couch. "Don't be offended if I don't get up to greet you."

.

"Look what we brought!" Jackie squeals, gesturing at Leo.

.

Eric leaps to his feel with Luke on his hip. "Hey man, long time no see!" he smiles as he goes to embrace the old hippie.

.

"Do I know you, man?" he asks Eric, who rolls his eyes in response. "This place doesn't look that familiar. Are you sure I lived here, Hyde?".

.

"Not here man, just in the town. You know what? I'm thinking we set Leo up in a room so he can take a nap. Is that okay, mom?" he asks.

.

"Leo's staying here?" she falters for a second then recovers. "Yay!" she cheers weakly. "I'm thinking the basement might be the most appropriate place for Leo, based on his recreational activities" she holds her hand up to block Red's view and mimes smoking a joint to Hyde.

.

"Yeah" he chuckles.

.

As Hyde and Kitty walk downstairs to show Leo to his room, Jackie parks herself next to Donna and gives her a serious look. "I'm really nervous" she admits.

.

"Yeah, I'm kind of nervous too" she confesses.

.

"What if he hates me for it?" she whispers, grabbing Donna's arm.

.

"Well, he probably will, but we knew that before we did it" she says.

.

"Everything is so good right now. Maybe it was the wrong decision. God, I don't want him to hate me. What if he leaves again?" she panics. She leans her head on her friend's shoulder and clings harder to her arm.

.

"Jackie, first of all, you're cutting off my circulation" she yanks her arms back. "Second of all, there is nothing you can do that will make him hate you, okay? You need to stop worrying about that all the time. People get mad in relationships and then they get over it. If I left Eric ever time I was pissed off him we wouldn't have Luke—or this other little one" she says, pointing to her belly.

.

"Little, Donna?" Jackie comments doubtfully.

.

"Shut it." she scowls. "My point is, he loves you. He's not going to leave you again. He is, however, going to be royally pissed off when he sees what we've done, but I still think it's for his own good."

.

Jackie takes a deep breath and lets it out. "Okay, you're right. I know you're right."

.

The doorbell rings and Eric leaps up to get it. "I got it".

.

He opens to door a crack and when he sees who the visitor is his jaw falls open in shock.

.

"Hello Eric. You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to this. Is Steven here?" she asks tentatively.

.

Eric is speechless. Jackie notices the interaction and brushes past Eric to let her in. "Hi Edna" she says sweetly as she pulls her inside the house. "I'm really glad you decided to come".

.

Red looks up at his new house guest and drops his newspaper.

.

**A/N – trying hard to wrap things up quickly. Hope the story still has momentum. Please let me know what you think. The comments pressure me to update faster, I promise!**


	33. Chapter 33

**FYI - One of the anons posted a review saying Hyde seemed OOC in the last chapter—it was meant to be him joking around, he wasn't seriously psychotically jealous. As Donna was hinting, Jackie's dress was giving him 'needs'. I've tried to establish a pattern of them purposely getting each other pissed off because they like to have angry makeup sex. It's their foreplay, as Angie mentioned in another chapter. **

**.**

**Anyway, I edited it a little bit so that this would be more clear. I do appreciate the constructive criticism and hopefully this will make it less confusing for other readers, so thanks anon! Keep those good reviews coming please, they totally help!**

**.**

**CHAPTER 33**

.

Red looks at Jackie grimly. "What is she doing here?"

.

"I...uh..." Jackie falters. She was not exactly prepared for this part of the confrontation. She figured there would be a tense hour between Edna and Steven and then all would be forgiven and they'd run happily into each others arms. Clearly this was not a well-thought-out plan.

.

"I invited her" Donna announces.

.

"What?" Eric turns to his wife angrily.

.

"Donna, come on..." Jackie begs her to stop.

.

"What? It's true. Ask Edna" she challenges.

.

"I asked her to call you" she admits, looking straight at Edna. "Mr. Forman, Steven and I don't have many blood relatives in our lives and well, she's turned her life around. Everybody deserves a second chance, right?"

.

"That's not your decision to make, Jackie" he tells her. "You can't just go springing things like this on people. Least of all Steven" he warns.

.

"He...he doesn't want me here?" Edna clarifies, her face falling into sorrow.

.

Jackie runs to her and grabs her hands. "He doesn't know you're here. He doesn't even know we found you" she admits.

.

Mrs. Hyde leans against the wall. "Then why did you bring me here? I don't want to upset him. I thought he wanted to see me, you know? Try again maybe?"

.

"I wanted you here. Our baby needs relatives" she says.

.

Kitty walks up the stairs and into the fray. She immediately notices the new guest and turns to distract her son. "Steven, I forgot something in the-" but before she could stop him, it was too late.

.

He walks across the room and stares at Edna in disbelief for a moment before turning to his fiancee. "This has your fingerprints all over it, Jackie" he says before turning and walking through the doors into the kitchen.

.

She gives Edna an apologetic look and follows after him.

.

* * *

.

She watches him pace for a while in the kitchen and waits for him to say something.

.

He turns to her with wounded eyes. "Why?"

.

"You never asked me how we tracked you down in New Orleans. We thought you were going to see her—you know, to ask for bone marrow," she starts.

.

"Edna lives in New Orleans?" he asks, shaking his head at the irony. She was under his nose the whole time and he had no idea.

.

"Yes. Big coincidence, right? She works at that strip club, The Pink Clam, as a cocktail waitress." she continues. "Donna and I went to see her there and we had a talk. She's cleaned herself up. She's been sober for five years now baby, and she looked so sad. She feels terrible about what she's done and she just wanted to know if you were okay" she tells him.

.

"So you invited her to my parents' home?!" he screams angrily. "She probably manipulated you into this, right? What does she want—money? Will she just leave if I give it to her?"

.

Jackie breathes through his outburst. "She didn't ask to come here, I asked her. She doesn't want anything from you. She just wants your forgiveness!"

.

"My forgiveness? How do you expect me to forgive a woman who ran out on me? Who just left me alone so she could go off to get drunk and bang half the town?" he huffs.

.

"I gave you my forgiveness for nearly the same thing, Steven, and you took it gladly" she frowns as she leans against the kitchen island.

.

"It's not the same thing, Jackie and you know it. I was her kid. She was my whole world" he explains.

.

"I was nearly a kid and you were my whole world. I didn't have any parents or relatives around. I barely even had any friends. You were it for me. You were supposed to be there and you abandoned me. It hurt me way more than when my parents left, because I always knew they never really loved me, but I thought you did" she says quietly.

.

He walks over to her and hugs her tightly. "Jackie, I- -"

.

"It's okay. It's over and I don't want to think about that part of my life anymore. But this will never be over for you until you deal with it, Steven. You still have a chance. She wants you. Your mother still loves you" she insists. "Don't throw that away just because you're mad. Think of what we would have missed out on if I'd never forgiven you" she says, putting his hands on her stomach.

.

His face softens. "I just...don't know what to say to her, Jackie. I'm so angry."

.

She cups his face. "You don't have to say anything. Just listen. She wants to explain herself and apologize. You need to let her" she asserts.

.

"I don't need to let her do anything" he mumbles.

.

"Imagine our little girl was in your shoes. What advice would you give her?" she questions him.

.

"I'd never leave her. She'll never know what this is like" he promises.

.

"Then do it for me" she pleads.

.

He stares into her mismatched eyes, still so open and trusting after what he put her through and knows he has no choice but to do what she's asking. He gives a barely perceptible nod and she throws her arms around him.

.

"I'm proud of you" she whispers in his ear.

.

* * *

.

Jackie leads Hyde into the living room by his hand and smiles broadly.

.

"Edna...um, guess we should probably go downstairs" he suggests.

.

Her face is overcome with joy and relief. "I'd love to baby" she smiles and she follows him down to the basement.

.

Kitty runs over to Jackie. "What the hell did you say to him to get him to speak with her?"

.

"I'm gorgeous. It's very difficult for him to turn me down, Kitty" she purses her lips.

.

Kitty narrows her eyes at her future daughter-in-law. "I see how it is. You're keeping trade secrets. I'll remember that next time somebody wants a snickerdoodle recipe."

.

Jackie rolls her eyes. "You don't need my advice to convince men to do things. You're one of the prettiest old ladies I know. Use your old lady mojo." she smiles and parks herself next to Donna on the couch.

.

Kitty mutters something under her breath and pours herself an enormous glass of wine.

.

* * *

.

Hyde, with arms crossed defensively, and Edna sit at opposite ends of the couch in the basement.

.

She smiles at him hesitantly. "You look great Stevie".

.

Already impatient he shoots her a look. "Jackie said you wanted to say something to me and I'm gonna hear you out, but only because she wants me to."

.

"Oh" she exhales, processing this news. "In that case, I'll try to make it short" she says as she unfastens a necklace from around her neck and places it in his hand. "I want you to have this".

.

He looks at it for a moment. "An AA chip? I'm good thanks" he responds as he tries to give it back to her.

.

She holds her hand out to block him. "No. I wanted you to see what I've been doing with my time while I was away from you."

.

"Now I know" he drops it in her lap. "What are you doing here, step 8 or 9? You've 'made amends', so now you can graduate."

.

"Look, I know what I did was a horrible thing, but if you can believe it, I did it because I love you" she explains.

.

He snorts. "Now I've heard everything."

.

"I was a mess, Steven, and I didn't want to bring you down with me, so I left before that could happen. I figured you'd be better off on your own or with the Formans looking out for you than with me. I knew you could do better without me...and you did" she confesses, gesturing upstairs to Red and Kitty.

.

"Fine. Let's pretend you left me for that reason. How does that explain the way you treated me before then?" he wonders.

.

"Half the time I was out of my mind drunk, so I don't have an excuse, other than me just being a bad drunk. When I left though, I was trying to get you to hate me. I thought it would be easier for you to hate me when I was gone - and easier for me too, I guess. I figured if you still loved me, you'd be heartbroken," she rationalizes.

.

His faces gets very tight. "I was heartbroken anyway".

.

"I know. There's nothing I can say to take back what I did, but I thought you might feel slightly better about it if you knew why," Edna sighs, knowing how tough her son can be.

.

"You fucked up every relationship I ever tried to have" he divulges. "I could never trust any of them" he shakes his head, remembering all of the women he's disappointed over the years because of his anger and trust issues.

.

"What about Jackie?" she asks.

.

"I don't know what I did to deserve another chance with her, but I trust her now" he says. "I just hope she trusts me. I left her a few times and I pushed her away for stupid reasons. She's too good for me, you know" he rambles on, not sure why he's telling her all of this.

.

Edna shakes her head. "You were the sweetest little boy. I know you probably don't remember, because after Bud came back home you changed. But you were sweet. It's your true nature, you just don't realize it."

.

"I'm scared I'm gonna be a shitty dad because I never had a good one growing up" he confesses. He doesn't mean to be saying all of this shit to her but it's just coming out of his mouth and he can't stop it. She doesn't deserve to know his fears and desires, but they're pouring out of him like a fountain and he can't turn the fucking tap off.

.

Edna's eyes glisten with tears. "You're gonna make the best dad, Stevie. You're a natural."

.

He nods, hoping she's right.

.

"Do believe people can change?" she asks him.

.

He looks at his biological mother and can see that she's changed, but it's so hard for him to believe it's true. "I don't know. I think I've changed, but sometimes I don't trust myself and I worry maybe I haven't, you know?"

.

She nods. "I know that feeling really well" she says turning to him. "I know it'll take a lot to forgive me, and I know that I can't just come back into your life and be your mom again. Kitty's done a much better job at that than I would have. But, um, maybe you could just let me know you again?"

.

He looks at the ground. "I don't know, man".

.

She tentatively lays her hand on top of his. He flinches for a moment but lets it remain there. This is the first time his mother has touched him in just over a decade and he didn't realize how much he was missing it until now. "If you want me to leave, I'll go and I won't bother you again. I hope you don't though, because I'd really like to love you the way I was supposed to - on your terms, of course." She looks at him, waiting anxiously for a response.

.

"Why don't you stay for Jackie's party and then...I don't know...I guess we'll see what happens" he says quietly as he stands up and walks toward the stairs, then turns around. "Just don't- - just don't bother unless you mean it, you know? If you left again..." he takes a breath and walks up the stairs. "I'll catch you at the party, okay?"

.

"Okay" she manages to squeak out before breaking down. Edna sits on the couch stunned and elated. Tears of happiness stream down her face. She lifts her necklace and kisses the 5 year chip before refastening it around her neck.

.

Hearing a noise, Leo stumbles out of Hyde's old basement room and comes upon Edna, sitting on the couch.

.

"Sorry, I didn't realize anybody was...Leo?" she stands, wiping her face before being completely shocked.

.

"Edna? What are you doing here?" he wonders.

.

"I'm here for my son's baby shower" she says.

.

"Huh. Me too. Well, I guess he's not really my son, but he's the closest thing I have" he says as he walks around the couch and approaches her.

.

"I thought you were just delivering medical supplies to natural healing clinics in the Midwest?" she asks then stops and has an epiphany. "Your clinic treated Steven, didn't it?" she questions.

.

"Who's Steven?" he looks at her blankly.

.

"Steven Hyde. It's his baby shower you're here to attend" she tries to jog his memory.

.

Leo laughs. "Yeah man. You're Hyde's mom? Far out! I can't believe this never came up once when we were in bed".

.

She shrugs. "We didn't do a lot of talking in bed".

.

"You going upstairs for the party? You wanna be my date?" he asks bashfully.

.

Edna smiles. "I'd like that" she says, taking his arm.

.

* * *

.

Hyde walks up the stairs, grabs Jackie's hand and pulls her through the kitchen, past the slider door and onto the driveway. Just as she's about to speak, he kisses her forcefully, nearly lifting her off her feet.

.

"I take it that your talk went well" she asks.

.

He smiles. "It didn't suck. It was so weird, you know? She said she loves me".

.

"What's not to love?" she asks.

.

"Yeah, but she also told me I used to be sweet" he grins cheekily.

.

"You're still sweet" she tells him as she plants a kiss on his lips.

.

He looks at her lovingly. "Thanks doll".

.

She coyly bats her eyes. "You would have done the same for me".

.

"That's not what I'm thanking you for" he tells her.

.

Jackie nods. She's not going to make him say it out loud, but she knows. By forgiving him, she changed him, and proved to him that it wasn't wrong to have hope.

.

"Let's go inside and get drunk" she jokes.

.

"We've gotten really boring, huh?" he laughs.

.

"Hey, speak for yourself. I'm never boring" she pouts.

.

"This is true" he pats her bottom as they go back into the kitchen.

.

Kitty is waiting there to get details of his talk with Edna.

.

"I'll meet you in the living room. I can already hear Donna and Brooke arguing over something stupid" she mentions as she walks through the doors.

.

"You look...well, you look less pissed off, so that's good right?" she laughs nervously.

.

"It went alright" he divulges. "She's gonna stay for the party, if that's okay with you".

.

"Of course it's okay, Steven. You know I want you to have a relationship with her, I mean, if you want one. Red and I won't be mad" she says, trying to assuage any guilt or feelings of disloyalty he might be harboring.

.

"I know that" he tells her.

.

"I know I didn't give birth to you, but I couldn't love you more if I had. I hope you know that Steven. But I do understand you wanting to be with her, she is your mom" she prattles fretfully.

.

"She's not my mom. You're my mom. She's just a lady who gave birth to me, but um, we're gonna hang out a bit and get to know each other again, I guess" he looks away, hoping not to stoke her emotions.

.

Kitty starts to cry "Oh Steven" she sobs as she throws her arms around him. He bears the brunt of her hug, wishing for an end to all of this sentimental crap. There's only so much he can take before he starts growing boobs.

.

"You done?" he asks. Between his mom and his girl crying all over him, he's going to need to change his shirt.

.

"For now" she narrows her eyes at him and lifts her glass of wine from the counter top.

.

* * *

.

Brooke is extremely high strung and is ordering people around with last minute help requests.

.

"Brooke, chill out. It's, like, totally going to be okay" Kelso begs his wife.

.

"Don't you tell me what's going to be okay. How would you know. Have you ever thrown a party? Have you?" she screeches, demanding to know.

.

"No" Kelso utters in the smallest voice he can muster.

.

"Then take this diaper cake to the backyard and do not ask me for any more lollipops until this thing is set up" she warns, breathing fire.

.

Fez and Angie enter the house just as Kelso is carrying the diaper cake outside. "Run for your lives" he whispers loudly as he walks through the door.

.

"I heard that Michael Kelso!" she screams after him. "Jackie!" she shrieks. "I need your opinion on where you want the gift table to be" she says, dragging Jackie out of the front door by the arm before she has a chance to respond.

.

"Who knew librarians could be so frightening? She's like that Van Halen video 'Hot for Teacher', you know, the angry chick with the ruler" Eric mumbles into Donna's hair, praying Brooke's radar didn't pick up his slight through the other side of the wall.

.

Donna is slumped over to her side, gripping her stomach. Eric turns toward her and feels her tummy. "Are you feeling okay? You don't look so hot".

.

"Don't let Jackie hear you say that" she tries to laugh but is suffering too much to get any traction.

.

"Seriously honey, you look like you're uncomfortable. Do you need to lie down? I could help you upstairs" he offers, getting a bit worried.

.

She shakes her head. "Just a little false labor. I think I'd rather stay down here" she decides, especially seeing as she's in too much pain to stand.

.

Eric looks at her skeptically. "No, you need to lie down. You're overdoing it. Come on." He lifts her to her feet, revealing a huge wet spot where she was sitting.

.

Angie's eyes grow large. "Um..." she points to the couch.

.

"Donna went peepee in her pants?" Fez laughs and Angie slaps his arm to shut him up.

.

Red puts his paper down and notices the wet spot. "Oh good God, we just had those cushions cleaned" he grumbles.

.

Donna buries her embarrassed face into Eric's chest. "I'll take you up on that offer to go upstairs now".

.

"Yeah, I think the only place I'm going to be helping you to is the hospital." he says angrily. "I told you this was a bad idea, but did you listen? No, because Donna Pinciotti always knows best" he grouses.

.

"I'll let you say 'I told you so' really loudly in front of everybody if you get me out of here and bring me to the hospital now, okay honey?" she prods him in the ribs.

.

"Right. Dad? Would you mind telling mom where we've gone and maybe bring Donna's suitcase later for us?" he asks, earning a head nod from Red. "Angie, can you watch Luke until we get back?" he requests.

.

"No problem, Eric. We'll handle everything here, just go" she insists.

.

"Good luck, Donna. Don't let that Dumbass get off at the wrong exit" Red shouts.

.

Fez helps Eric guide Donna outside.

.

Brooke walks in through the kitchen, followed by Kelso, Jackie and Hyde. "Where is Donna? She was supposed be helping me with the streamers!"

.

"She's on her way to the hospital" Angie informs her as she points to the wet spot on the couch.

.

Jackie's hands fly up to her mouth. "Oh my God, Steven this is so exciting!" She grabs his arm and hisses in his ear "That Amazon better not think of stealing my thunder".

.

"Pretty sure that wasn't her first thought, babe" he quips.

.

Brooke looks around the room disconcerted. "So, does this mean we're going to be an extra person or should I subtract two?" she wonders.

.

"Oh no. Michael's stupid is rubbing off on her. That could have been me!" she whispers into Hyde's ear, earning her a laugh.

.

**A/N – wrapping it up like a gift on Brooke's present table! Hope it's working for you. I seriously teared up when I was writing the Edna/Hyde scene, so I hope it's touching, because otherwise I'm hormonal : 0**

**.**

**Please let me know by reviewing...**


	34. Chapter 34

**One of the latest reviews for "What a Long Strange Trip it's Been" said that some of the things the characters think don't match up in the three stories. Strange Trip and Long Road Back should match up since it's a continuation of the same storyline in the same time period—if something is askew there, please PM me and I'll tweak it. **

**.**

**The characters _should_ seem different in Stoned, because lots of stuff happens between then and now. These stories are long and sometimes details can get lost. I'm actually in the process of going through the chapters of this fic and fixing these little issues. Constructive comments like this are great though and if you notice something, please PM!**

**.**

**Just think of Stoned as AU until I fix discrepancies )**

**.**

**CHAPTER 34**

.

Jackie, Hyde, Angie and Fez emerge from Fez's car and enter the hospital carrying a huge bouquet of flowers and some balloons.

.

They locate Donna's room at the hospital just in time to find Eric emerging through the door carrying the baby.

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Jackie squeals and rushes to look at the bundle. "Congratulations!"

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"Shh!" Eric holds his finger to his lips. "Donna just fell asleep in there, so she can't really see anybody right now, but this little guy can" he smiles as he presents the tiny redheaded baby to his friends.

.

"He's adorable! Oh Steven look – he's so cute you almost don't even notice that he has red hair!" she coos at the little guy, snatching him out of his daddy's arms.

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"In my country, when baby is born with red hair they make him a shaman" Fez educates them while sucking on a blow-pop.

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Eric's eyebrows raise "Is that so? You're going to be a shaman little man" he says, wiggling his finger at his son.

.

"Is that really true honey?" Angie asks under her breath, doubting his story.

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"No bunny, but the kid has read hair. I had to think of something to say that would give Donna and Eric hope" he whispers.

.

"What's the little dude's name?" Hyde asks, looking down into the baby's big green eyes.

.

"Kirk Reginald Forman" the proud new dad announces with love, before stealing a glance at Jackie, who gives him a secret, knowing smile.

.

"Like Shatner?" she says with wide eyes.

.

"Oh, you're familiar with Trek?" he tilts his head toward her knowingly.

.

Jackie caresses the baby's face with the back of her index finger. "Is little Kirk healthy? I know he's a little bit early."

.

.

"Perfectly healthy. He's not even small for a full term baby." Eric informs them.

.

"I guess Donna relentlessly stuffing her face was a good thing after all" she says in sing-song to the baby.

.

"I hate to break up the party, but we've got to get back" Hyde tells him.

.

"But we just got here" Jackie pouts.

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"You have a doctor's appointment" he informs her.

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She frowns and hands the baby back after planting several kisses on his tiny face. "You let your mommy sleep!" she orders the baby. "Tell Donna we'll come over as soon as you guys get back home."

.

Eric nods and Hyde gives him a firm bro hug. "Congrats, man."

.

Angie looks at her brother with suspicion. "How are you getting back? We were your ride back to the Formans' house."

.

"I called for a car to pick us up here instead" he explains as he guides Jackie down the hallway toward the exit.

.

"Are you guys hanging out a bit longer?" Forman asks Fez and Angie.

.

"Only if I get to hold the baby" she asks bashfully.

.

Eric hand the baby over to Angie.

.

"We brought balloons and candy, so we can stay here all day" Fez smiles as he lifts a bottle of amaretto out of a brown paper bag. "and liquid candy."

.

Eric grabs the bottle from his hands. "Oh thank God."

.

* * *

.

Jackie and Hyde exit the hospital and walk toward the curb to wait for the car.

.

"What was that all about?" she asks. "I know my doctor's appointment isn't until next week, Steven."

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He grabs her hand and remains Zen. "Come on." He pulls her toward the limousine when it pulls up.

.

"What is this for?" she wonders, holding her hand over her mouth.

.

"Thought you might like the extra room" he smiles.

.

Her face pulls into a scowl. "Are you calling me fat?"

.

Panic sweeps across Hyde's features as he realizes he's accidentally wandered into dangerous territory. "No baby. I just meant you might want to lie down, because you get tired so easily now. Fat?" he scoffs. "You're not fat! What crazy person told you that?" he closes his eyes for a moment and waits for the storm to pass.

.

Her eyes light up and she moves seductively toward him. "That was very considerate, Steven. I'd love to lie down" she winks.

.

Hyde is thankful there are only six weeks left of swollen ankles, mood swings, and unexplained pregnancy rage.

.

* * *

.

They ride cuddled up in the back of the limo with outstretched legs.

.

"So you're not even going to give me a clue?" she wonders, completely annoyed.

.

"Nope" he responds unemotionally.

.

"Well are we going somewhere cool?" she huffs.

.

"I think it's cool" he decides.

.

"Am I getting something shiny?" she asks hopefully.

.

He tips his head from side to side as he thinks. "Possibly."

.

Exasperated, she frowns and flicks him on the earlobe.

.

"Ow! What was that for?" he complains.

.

"For keeping secrets. You know I hate surprises, Steven!" she pouts.

.

"Then how come you're always trying to get me to come home with one for you?" he challenges.

.

"Because I know I can always return it if I hate it" she counters. "What happens if we're not going to be in Illinois?" she whines. "How am I supposed to return something ugly if we're out of state?"

.

Hyde laughs. "Why do you assume I would get you something ugly?"

.

She looks at him like he should know better.

.

He kisses the top of her head and pulls her against him. "Just shut up and enjoy the ride."

.

Jackie closes her eyes and drifts asleep smiling- dreaming vividly of shiny jewelry, redheaded newborn babies and Steven wearing nothing but a pair of worn out jeans.

.

* * *

.

After about 2.5 hours of driving, they pull into the parking lot of a courthouse in Merrillville, Indiana. Hyde signals something to the driver and he cuts the engine.

.

Jackie begins to stir and buries her face in Hyde's chest. He runs one hand down her dark curls and leans into the embrace. He wasn't held much as a child, but Jackie has more than made up for that during the times they were together. She's made up for a lot of stuff he missed out on as a kid—things he initially didn't know how to receive graciously, but then learned to tolerate and eventually love. She gave freely the unconditional love Edna never did, whether he deserved it or not.

.

Jackie burrows into his chest deeply. When she sleeps it's just about the only time she isn't making noise. Hyde watches her looking so peaceful and young, and he can almost imagine what their little girl will be like. If she inherits anything from him at all, he's crossing his fingers for it to be his Zen, because he's not sure he has the energy to live with two Jackies.

.

A broad smile spreads across his face as he feels his daughter kick him through his girlfriend's torso. He's going to have to start wearing shin guards if this one turns out anything like her mommy. The baby kicks again, this time much harder, like she's telling him to get off his cowardly ass and do what he came here to do.

.

"Baby" he whispers into Jackie's ear. "We're here" he says as he kisses her awake.

.

Disoriented, she sits up straight and looks around her. "Where are we?" she wonders, then immediately grabs her belly. "I have to pee again. Don't blame me, she just kicked me!" she points to her belly.

.

He opens the car door and breathes in the fresh Indiana air. "They should have a bathroom in there."

.

She follows him out of the car and tries to get her bearings. "Why are we at an Indiana courthouse?" she asks, furrowing her brow. "You weren't arrested for something were you? You could have just told me instead of pretending you were planning some big surprise...unless the 'surprise' was that you are going to prison" she frowns, putting both hands angrily on her newly-expanded hips.

.

He shakes his head. "I wasn't arrested, you dunce, we're here for something else."

.

She starts walking into the building, then suddenly stops. "Seriously, why are we here?" she asks nervously.

.

He takes a deep breath and produces an envelope from the inside pocket of his coat.

.

She looks at it like it's radioactive. "What is this?"

.

"You could always try opening it" he suggests sarcastically.

.

She gives him a dirty look and opens the letter. As she reads the contents, tears well in her eyes and she shakes her head in disbelief. "This is real?"

.

He nods, trying to hide that he's choked up as well. He clears his throat and pushes on. "I, um...under the circumstances...there's no waiting period here and you said before all I had to do was pick a day, and um...I'm picking today. Right now."

.

She smiles through her tears. "Now?" she screams, completely surprised.

.

"Did you mean it?" he asks nervously.

.

She bites her lip and shakes her head again in disbelief. "You're crazy. You know that, right?"

.

He fidgets anxiously, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "Yeah, I know. You're pretty crazy yourself. I figured we could maybe be crazy together." he shrugs.

.

"Why today?" she wonders as she starts to pace the parking lot anxiously.

.

He looks down with embarrassment. "I couldn't wait."

.

She paces over to Hyde and strokes the sides of his face.

.

"I want us to be a family before our girl is here. Officially." he says. "And I want you to be only mine. For good. Don't want any weird foreign guys try to steal you away from me again. And that includes Fez." he runs his hand over his mouth.

.

"Like that could happen." She playfully slaps his arm. "You're the only man I've ever really wanted to marry. I know you thought it was all about a big wedding, and I'm not gonna lie, I really want one of those too, but mostly I just wanted you to be in it with me forever."

.

"I was always in it forever, babe, I just didn't realize it until you were gone" he shrugs.

.

She takes a deep breath. "Just so we're clear, this is not the _real_ wedding. In our _real _wedding, I will be skinny again and you will be wearing a suit with a real tie and not a bolo, and there will be freakin' doves released. Got it?"

.

His eyes glimmer with amusement. "You can have all the winged rodents your little heart desires" he promises.

.

"And you're leaving those damned sunglasses in the car" she demands sternly with a narrowed gaze as she puts her hand out to collect them.

.

He takes them off and hands them to her. then runs his hands through the back of her hair, cradling her head toward his. "Now get in the building already, Jackie" he urges as he brushes his lips against hers.

.

"Are you really ready to do this?" she smiles excitedly against his lips.

.

He nods and kisses her again. "God help me, I am. Now let's go get hitched" he orders as he lightly taps her behind.

.

* * *

.

Though there was no five piece orchestra, no cake, no fluffy white dress with a diaphanous veil, no pink flowers or freakin' doves (and definitely no parents there), this day was still way better than she always dreamed it would be.

.

As they said their vows in front of the justice, with only a dairy farmer and his son as witnesses, Jackie couldn't help but laugh at how different her life had turned out from what she always expected it would be.

.

She hadn't married her first love and become a rich, bored, housewife. Instead, she got knocked up by a burn-out commitment-phobe from the wrong side of the tracks, and stupidly married a suave Argentinean drug trafficker with a violent streak. Not exactly something anyone predicted in her high school yearbook.

.

Life may not have panned out at all how she imagined it would, but as she stands at nearly eight months pregnant in the middle of a courthouse in a random Indiana town, taking vows for the second time in the same year, she feels oddly like she's living the dream.

.

As she looks up in to Steven's crystal blue eyes and promises him her everlasting love and devotion, she can't help but drift back to that first date on the hood of her daddy's Lincoln and remember how hard they struggled to deny their effect on each other after that first, amazing kiss.

.

_As their lips part, Jackie's brow furrows and she looks expectantly at her date."Did you feel something?" she asks him with a mixture of confusion and hope in her mismatched eyes._

.

"I do." Hyde declares with a smile as he takes his vows.

.

Jackie exhales with relief. He dragged her all the way to another state to marry her, so she knew he wouldn't bail, but after so many years of living with the nagging pain of uncertainty, and all their ups and downs, it's a bizarre feeling to know that he is finally hers without conditions or limitations.

.

Hyde squeezes her hand for reassurance. He's as shocked as she at their circumstances, but hasn't ever been happier. He never thought he'd get married, much less to somebody like Jackie.

.

Long ago, he accepted he would be the weird uncle at family gatherings – the one who brought gag gifts like whoopie cushions and disappearing ink pens for the kids. He'd be the poor lonely sap who took home the leftover food after the party ended, satisfying the host's desire to make sure he ate at least one proper meal that week.

.

It's a huge fucking relief to know that he's actually going to be hosting those parties instead of taking home the doggie bag. He knows full well the only thing separating him from a life of fake dog poop gifts and drunken chicken dancing at weddings, is the hot-blooded beauty with a Napoleon Complex standing across from him now. He thanks all of the gods that he doesn't believe in for making her either stupid or forgiving enough to take him back so many times when he clearly didn't deserve it.

.

"_Look, I'll even go first. Steven, I want to be with you. And you..." she gestures for him to speak._

"_Jackie, I do want to be with you." he tells her in the middle of the Formans' driveway, putting his heart out on the line for once._

_She approaches him smiling. "That's because you lov-"_

"_Don't push it" he warns as he takes her in his arms and kisses her._

_._

"I do" Jackie promises with a hitch in her breath as she tries not to drown out the rest of the ceremony with her incessant weeping.

.

Before the judge even finishes declaring them married, Hyde grabs his bride and lays the kind of kiss on her you only see in movies. They are both giddy with laughter as they pull apart and look at their rings.

.

"Did this really just happen?" Jackie asks while admiring her new bauble. "I don't feel any different." she remarks, lost in thought.

.

"Oh it happened, alright. I'm wearing freaking jewelry" Hyde sighs. "We're done here?" He asks the judge without taking his eyes off of his new wife.

.

"You can pick up the notarized certificate and pay in the front. Congratulations." the justice says, business as usual.

.

"I'm actually paying to have the government put my penis on lockdown. I never thought I'd see the day." he looks at the certificate, mystified.

.

"You're so romantic" Jackie says glumly.

.

"Come on. You know how much I hate Big Brother and yet here I am, inviting the government into my bedroom, with you" he reminds her. "That doesn't count for something?"

.

"Okay, maybe it does." Her frown becomes a smile "But seriously Steven, no sane man would turn down the chance to look at _this_" she gestures to her face, "every day for the rest of their lives."

.

Hyde's reflex is to say something snarky, but he figures now is as good a time as any to start cutting down on that kind of shit. "Lucky me" he says as he takes her hand. "and I really mean that." And he really does.

.

* * *

.

Hyde carries Jackie threshold-style to the car and lays her down on the seat. Neither one of them has said a word since they left the building.

.

Jackie looks at her wedding band and sighs. It is shiny and she's thankful he didn't screw it up by buying something tacky. It would have been super awkward to try to return it, though in reality, she would've gotten married with a tin ring if that's all he had.

.

He slides in next to her and raises the partition between the driver and the passengers, then knocks on the window twice and the radio is turned on. The song "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin starts playing. The car never moves from the parking lot.

.

Jackie smirks. "This song is kind of like your mating call. You want to give me 'every inch of your love'?"

.

Hyde tries to look innocent. "What? A guy can't listen to a little Zeppelin in the back of a limo with his wife without being accused of trying to get some?" he jokes.

.

She curls up against him. "That's the first time you've called me your wife."

.

"So weird" he remarks.

.

"It's totally weird. And totally awesome," she decides as she climbs onto his lap. "You don't have to play Zeppelin in order to 'get some' from me, you know."

.

She kisses him on the mouth and then starts undoing his shirt, button-by-button, leaving kisses in the wake of each one.

.

He runs his hands down her back and cups her behind as he makes his way down her neck with his warm mouth. "Are you trying to consummate this union already, Mrs. Hyde?" he whispers into her neck before lifting her shirt off and throwing it to the side, as she unbuckles his pants.

.

"Do we really want to do this in a car?" she wonders aloud, second guessing herself.

.

"I know what _my_ answer is, but you're right - we should probably make it special – whatever the hell that means. I can't believe that just came out of my mouth." he grimaces with disgust at how soft he's become.

.

She starts stroking his face and grinding against him. "Limos are special, right?" she asks, with hope in her eyes.

.

"Weddings really do make you horny, don't they?" he grins cheekily, thankful he married a woman who will do it anywhere as long as he's involved.

.

She shrugs and lets him pull her in for a long kiss.

.

* * *

.

_**Five days later.**_

.

Jackie is walking around Donna's living room holding the baby while the new mom cuddles her toddler.

.

"Do you think he knows I'm his auntie?" she asks while peering into Kirk's tiny face for an answer.

.

Donna smirks. "Not sure, but this one does" she says, pointing to Luke, who is busy picking his nose.

.

"I can't believe you have two boys. I would die" the brunette speculates.

.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Jackie. You're clearly allergic to boy sperm and God obviously wants to punish Hyde for corrupting the daughters of so many men by giving him his own to worry about" she taunts.

.

"I know, right?" she laughs. "But if you think Steven is being taught a lesson, imagine how badly God wants to punish Michael!"

.

Donna laughs along with her friend. "Oh! Speaking of Kelso, did you hear about the commendation he's getting? They're giving him promotion and some kind of special award for helping the Feds bust Fernando's trafficking ring."

.

"Wow. I never thought I see the day when the cops take Michael aside for doing something good" she muses. "Brooke can finally show her face around Point Place again!"

.

"Speaking of Point Place..." the redhead starts timidly.

.

Jackie catches on pretty quickly and a look of horror sweeps across her face. "No! You can't leave now, I'm having a baby in a month and I need you!" she whines.

.

"We're not going to go anywhere for a few months, but Eric got a position teaching at the local college, and I can do my radio show from any station," she explains.

.

The midget's bottom lips slips out of her mouth and her eyes start to water. "But our babies were supposed to grow up together!"

.

"We're only a few hours away" she reminds her, trying to soothe her friend.

.

"You can't do an impromptu Barbie tea party when it takes two hours to drive over, The tea will be cold!" Jackie hisses, letting her emotions get the better of her. She lifts her left hand to her face and frantically wipes her tears away to avoid getting Kirk wet. "Oh no. I'm drowning him in my sadness" she cries.

.

Donna doesn't know whether to laugh or be frightened, but then recalls just how emotional she felt during the last month of her own pregnancy and decides to dish out some empathy. "He's fine, Jackie. If a baby could drown from being cried on this little guy would already be under water. I mean, between my lack of sleep and my chaffed nipples, I pretty much sobbed for the first three days straight" she confesses.

.

Jackie grabs her left breast protectively with her free hand and scrunches her face up. "WHAT?"

.

Realizing she just made things worse, Donna backtracks. "Oh no, Jackie, It's not really that bad and redheads are more sensitive anyway and have much lower pain thresholds, due to our...gingerness?" she offers, hoping that will be enough to assuage her.

.

Jackie's face relaxes and she purses her lips in thought. "That makes sense," she tells herself as she brings the baby over to his mommy for nursing. "Speaking of chaffed nipples, this little guy is starting to root."

.

As she hands the child over, Donna notices the newest addition to Jackie's jewelry collection and freaks out. "Is that what I think it is?" she questions, pointing to the wedding band.

.

The little one smiles shyly as she gazes at it herself. "Yep".

.

"Bitch! You've been here an hour and you said nothing?" she accuses her while becoming increasingly irate.

.

"Bitch!" Luke screams out and then giggles as he hops out of her lap.

.

Donna puts her hand to her forehead. "Oh crap."

.

"Crap!" Luke repeats as he giggles again.

.

"Oh no, Donna, you're making it worse. Try using a different word but in the same tone" she suggests.

.

The breastfeeding mom scowls. "Do you mean a word like information-withholding liar?"

.

"I think that's technically three words and much too difficult for a toddler to say" Jackie nervously laughs.

.

She is greeted with a glare that could melt glass.

.

Jackie wrings her hands. "Donna, I didn't even know it was happening. Steven just took me straight from the hospital after we came to see you and drove me out to the middle of Nowheresville, Indiana and then handed me my annulment papers." she explains. "He sprang the whole registry ceremony on me and I just couldn't say no because he wanted to do it so badly, and you know I've wanted to marry him since I was 17 years old, and..." she quickly runs out of breath form her marathon defense.

.

"Stop!" Donna laughs. "Jackie, it's fine. It sounds really romantic and I'm happy for you. You guys have waited a long time for this" she says cheerfully.

.

"You want to hear something funny? I don't feel any different. I always thought I would, but I don't" she shrugs.

.

"That's because you were already married in here" she points to her heart.

.

"Oh my God lumberjack, you are turning into such a girl!" she laughs.

.

Donna glowers. "Now don't go telling people I said something that sappy or I will deny it and then announce to the world that you have stretch marks. Got that?"

.

Jackie is pissed. "You wouldn't!"

.

"I most certainly would, Jackie Hyde!" she retorts.

.

"You are literally the first person to call me that" she says with a dreamy smile.

.

"Well, you'd better get used to it" Donna teases with a wink.

.

**A/N - This chapter was the hardest to write out of the whole book. I hope it's not a total bust, though I'm pretty positive it didn't come out how I had imagined, exactly. It's so difficult to write Hyde in character when he's being sentimental. Also, pardon the absence of smut, but it's hard to write a sex scene with a person who is 8 months pregnant. I'll try to add one when I do the epilogue-there's probably about two chapters left. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review. It's only takes ten seconds...**


	35. Chapter 35

**Here's the final chapter of the fic—I plan to write a long epilogue where I can hopefully include one last sMut scene for those of you (like me) who enjoy the dirty stuff. I really hope you like this!**

**.**

**This chapter is rated T for no sex, drugs or rock-n-roll.**

**.**

**CHAPTER 35**

.

There's a point in every woman's pregnancy where she gives up on looking good anymore. Jackie Burkhart Hyde has reached that point. To her credit, it did take 39 weeks to get there, but she's there now and the only way back is through it.

.

She's been on maternity leave for a month now and all of the extra time she has to kill is only making her days feel longer. They say a watched pot never boils, well the same logic can be applied to a pregnant woman—a watched pregnant lady never births. And nobody in the history of pregnant ladies has been watched this closely.

.

Jackie dips her paint brush into a pail of water and wipes it along the back of her safari print border. Hyde insisted that she not make their daughter's room pink, and since it was his only request, she felt had to abide by his wishes, as much as it killed her soul. Now she's stuck with tan walls and animals, which in her opinion makes the room look like something Donna may have decorated and she just can't have that. Not for her daughter.

.

The phone rings and she descends the little step ladder to answer it. "Hello?"

.

"Hey baby. Just calling to see how you're feeling." Hyde says as his leg nervously jostles in place under his desk.

.

"I'm fine. Just giving birth on the floor as we speak" she jokes for the fifth time this week.

.

Hyde's eyes widen and his breath catches in his throat. "You're in labor?"

.

She rolls her eyes and leans against the wall. "Yes, I'm casually in labor and didn't bother to call you. I figured I'd wait for you to check in before I mentioned anything."

.

There is a pregnant pause on the line as Hyde decides whether or not she's kidding.

.

"Did my pregnancy cause you to lose brain cells or something?" she snarks as she eases herself down to sit on the stepladder.

.

"I'm nervous Jackie, okay? It's a new sensation for me, so just gimme a break" he grumbles, pissed off that he fell for her fake-out once again.

.

"I'm sorry baby, I know you're nervous. You know I get bitchy when I'm stressed out" she apologizes. "Can you make the biophysical this afternoon?" she asks.

.

"I can't doll. I have a meeting that's going to last all afternoon that I can't miss" he tells her.

.

Jackie pouts. "Whatever."

.

"Are you sticking your bottom lip out?" he wonders, amused by her never-ending antics.

.

"Maybe..." she says. "Would it do anything if I were?"

.

"Yeah. That has no affect on my over the phone, so maybe you should give Donna a call" he suggests.

.

"Fine" she mumbles, disappointed.

.

"I've been to every single one of your appointments since I found out you were pregnant, so don't be mad. You know I'd go if I could" he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

.

Jackie nods to herself. "It's fine. I'll call you after I'm done." She rubs her hands over her swollen belly and stretches.

.

"Hey" Hyde smiles, still unable to believe his life has panned out so well. "I love you."

.

She closes her eyes and takes it in the declaration. He may say it more now than before, but he still doesn't say it as often as she'd like. "I love you too. I'm happy I was skanky enough to have sex with you in an alley. We wouldn't be here if I was more of a lady."

.

"See? I've been saying you should do skanky things more often" he grins.

.

"For you doll, anything" she grins too, mimicking him. "Talk to you later. Bye."

.

"Stay off that ladder!" he orders as he puts down the phone.

.

A knock on the door disrupts her thoughts and she slowly pulls herself up to standing to answer it.

.

* * *

.

When Jackie finally arrives at the door, she opens it, completely out of breath.

.

"Jeez. Somebody's a little out of shape" Fez comments as he walks through her living room with Donna trailing behind, baby in a pram.

.

"Oh I'm really glad you're both here. I have my last appointment in less than an hour and I have nobody to go with me" she frowns, giving both of them pity eyes.

.

Donna laughs. "You know, you could just ask..."

.

"I shouldn't have to" she says, miffed.

.

"This is the irrational crazy phase of the pregnancy, Fez. " she informs their foreign friend.

.

"How is this different from Jackie when she's normally irrational and crazy?" he wonders, trying to remember how bad she was before the hormones kicked in.

.

"I'm still in the room, guys" she waves a hand in front of their faces.

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"Alright. Let me see this disaster you speak of." he demands as he shows himself to the nursery.

.

"We should leave a bit early to avoid traffic" Donna suggests, which Jackie agrees to with a head nod.

.

A blood-curdling scream can be heard coming from the other room.

.

"I take it Fez is not a fan of the safari theme" Donna remarks, stifling a laugh.

.

He angrily stomps back into the living room awash with disgust. "Unacceptable."

.

"I know! He won't let us have pink though" Jackie complains, half talking to her daughter, whom she rubs from the outside. "Pink was the only dealbreaker for him."

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"I don't need pink to make that room fabulous, but there is no way I'm letting my niece sleep in a room with pictures of common house pets" he sniffs.

.

"Fezzy, those are exotic animals, like zebras and leopards" she insists.

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"Maybe exotic to you, but in my country, zebras are a menace much like your raccoons. Would you put pictures of raccoons all over your baby's wall?" he challenges.

.

Jackie crinkles her nose. "Ew."

.

"That's right. I will exterminate all of these horrible animals and replace them with something more becoming of the daughter of a goddess. Now leave everything to Fez and don't give it another thought." he assures, patting her belly.

.

"On that note, I think we should get going to your appointment," she prods, opening the front door.

.

* * *

.

Jackie sits on an exam table with electrodes all over her belly. "I feel like a science experiment."

.

"Ha!" Donna laughs. "Just you wait until you're in labor. Nothing like having a handful of men intently peering into your vagina to make you feel like an object."

.

A look of horror sweeps across her face. "What do you mean 'a group of men'? I don't want anybody but my doctor and Steven looking down there."

.

"Well, get over it sister, because it's now about to become open season on your vagina" she taunts her little friend.

.

"Must you keep using that word?" Jackie huffs.

.

"What would you prefer? Vulva?" she asks, knowing this will only make her more squeamish. "And don't get me started on what's going to squeeze out onto the table once you start pushing..."

.

The midget shudders. "Honestly, it's like you want me to get up and leave."

.

"I'm just teasing you, Jackie" she says softly, trying to calm her down.

.

"So you made all of that stuff up, right?" she asks hopefully.

.

Donna face contorts. "Um..."

.

The radiologist enters the room and takes a seat. "Well, I've got some good news and some bad news for you, Ms. Hyde."

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Jackie stiffens with fear. "Give me the good news first, please."

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"The good news is that the baby looks favorable for induction. The bad news is that we are going to induce you today." he informs her.

.

"What?" she yelps, completely stricken.

.

"Your amniotic fluid seems a little low, so you're most likely leaking without even realizing it. I'm not sure why you haven't started contracting, since your waters have already broken" he frowns. "But the baby's heartbeat is strong, so we'll just give you a little Pitocin and see what happens. I'll have the nurse come and take you to the labor floor." he smiles, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder before leaving.

.

Donna leans over and grabs her hand. "It's going to be okay, it's just a little earlier than you expected, but that just means you get to meet her earlier."

.

Jackie, in complete shock, just stares at the wall.

.

"Jackie! Are you okay?" the redhead asks, getting concerned.

.

Tears emerge from the little one's eyes and her bottom lip starts to quiver. "This wasn't in my birth plan. I don't have any of my stuff. My lavender scented candles aren't here. I was supposed to be wearing my pink satin nightie, my makeup was going to be perfect and I was planning on having the baby born to the Carpenters' song 'We've Only Just Begun'. I don't have any of those things here!" she cries into Donna's shoulder.

.

The taller woman soothes her friend's nerves by rubbing her back. "Hey, but you know the one thing you do have?" she smiles, pulling dark curls back to get better access. "You have her" she points to the baby bump.

.

Jackie smiles and rubs her belly. "You're right" she wipes the tears from her eyes with Donna's sleeve. "I don't need that other stuff" she decides, then turns to Donna with pleading eyes. "But maybe you could call Fez at my house and get him to bring everything anyway? And make him call Kitty and Edna."

.

She laughs. "Yeah, okay."

.

Suddenly, the midget's mismatched eyes expand rapidly. "Oh my God! There's one thing I forgot that I _really_ do need!" she panics.

.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, but go ahead and lay it on me" her best friend offers.

.

"My husband!" she squeaks. "Can you call Steven for me, please? He's supposed to be in some big meeting all afternoon, so you may need to ask around."

.

"I'm on it" she says as she stands to find a phone. "You can get some practice in before yours gets here" she says, pointing to Kirk in the bassinet.

.

Jackie nods and lifts her Godson out of the pram. "Hey Kirk" she smiles as he opens his green eyes to look at her. "You're going to meet your future wife today" she coos as she holds Kirk's tiny hand to her belly. "Don't tell your Godfather I said that though, because he thinks she's going to be living at home until she's 40." she giggles.

.

* * *

.

Jackie is now lying down on a birthing table, hair slick with sweat as she rides out another contraction. "I really regret not taking those Lamaze classes seriously."

.

"Did you even take them at all?" she asks, giving her a look.

.

Fez silently walks into the birthing room.

.

"That's why I regret it, Donna. Duh! God, if you keep being so annoying she's never going to want to come out" she hisses.

.

Donna looks toward an appalled Fez, who immediately tries to slip out of the room unnoticed. "Not so fast, tan guy!" she barks. "It's your turn to be verbally abused."

.

He swallows hard and reluctantly shuffles his feet to her bedside. "I can't reach Hyde" he whispers in Donna's ear while Jackie has her eyes pinches closed in pain.

.

"She's already at 4 cm" The redhead bites her lip. "I'll get Eric to go over there." she tells him as she walks toward the door. "Jackie" she calls out, "I'm just going to take a little break to nurse Kirk" she informs her. "Fez is going to hold your hand, aren't you Fez?" she narrows her eyes.

.

"Yes" he responds, though no sound emerges from his lips.

.

Jackie lifts her glass of ice chips and scowls. "Why did you let me run out of ice chips?"

.

"I – I, uh, just got here, goddess" he stammers.

.

She groans her displeasure.

.

"I'll get them for you right now, my love" he jumps up and runs out of her room.

.

* * *

.

Eric, with Luke riding on his back, rushes into the Grooves Live office building in a blind panic.

.

The woman at the front desk looks at him with bemusement. "Can I help you?" she asks.

.

"Yeah, um, we're looking for Steven Hyde. I'm his brother" he informs her, which only leaves her confused. "On the other side of the family."

.

"Ah" she responds, getting it. "Well, I'm afraid he's in a meeting all afternoon and can't be disturbed."

.

"Well, you're going to have to disturb him, because his wife is at the hospital giving birth, like _right now_." he insists, gesturing wildly.

.

She stands nervously, not knowing what to do. "Oh. I, um, I don't actually know where he is at the moment" she tells him, apologetically.

.

"Can you call Angie Barnett?" he suggests.

.

The woman quickly dials Angie's extension, announces Eric and then hangs the phone up. "She said she's coming right down." she smiles, halfheartedly.

.

A minute later, Angie rushes out of the main corridor, looking around for Eric. "Oh honey, Fez called me earlier, but I just assumed he already had spoken to Steven."

.

Luke holds his arms out to Angie and she removes him from his daddy's back.

.

"Well, Jackie is really far along and we've been trying to reach him for hours. I mean, Brooke and Kelso are already within Chicago city limits, so it's been a while." he explains, twitching away.

.

"Okay look, I'm going to take Luke for you so can move around more easily. I'll give you a few places to call and maybe somebody in one of those will have seen him" she offers.

.

Eric points at her. "You're very good in an emergency situation" his chest heaves with nerves.

.

* * *

.

Jackie has reached the 'transition' stage of her labor and her body is shaking a little. Brooke stands next to her wiping her brow with a wet washcloth and Donna is on the other side, whispering words of encouragement.

.

Teeth chattering, the laboring mom looks up at her best friend. "He's not here yet?" she breathes hard.

.

Donna shakes her head sadly and strokes her friend's hair. "I'm sure he'll be here any minute. Eric is running all over town looking for him."

.

She looks across to Brooke, who is smiling at her calmly. "You're doing a great job" she assures her. "You're going to be a mommy really soon" she reminds her.

.

Jackie returns her smile "I can't believe I'm going to be a mom. Oh my God" she chatters, leaning her head against Brooke's shoulder. "I just wish Steven were here" she sobs, her tears mixing in with the sweat running off her face.

.

Eric jogs into a restaurant that caters to business lunches and breezes past the maitre d', much to his chagrin.

.

"Sir, you can't just barge in here like this!" he calls after him.

.

Winding his way through the tables, he finally locates Hyde, holding court with a bunch of sleezy-looking A&R guys who are drinking hard.

.

As Eric approaches, Hyde's face drops and he rises to stand. "What's wrong, Forman?"

.

"We've been trying to reach you all day. Jackie was induced about eight hours ago and she's about to give birth, if she hasn't already" Eric warns.

.

He turns to his lunch dates with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, I-"

.

"It's okay man, go!" one of them chuckles. "It's not every day you become a dad."

.

"Good luck, dude" one of the younger ones wishes.

.

"Mazel tov!" says another.

.

"Thanks. I'll, uh...be in touch soon. Have the restaurant put it on my tab and enjoy yourselves" he instructs them before following his friend out of the restaurant.

.

* * *

.

Jackie is now sitting at the edge of the table with one bent leg being held up by Brooke and the other held up by Donna. Both ladies are wearing surgical scrubs.

.

"You can do this, hun" Donna encourages.

.

Jackie shakes her head no and starts crying harder. "Nothing is happening the way I wanted it to. This is nothing like my birth plan!"

.

"I know you had a birth plan, but really, has anything in your life gone according to plan? I know mine hasn't, and I wouldn't have it any other way" Brooke shares, hoping to enlighten her.

.

Jackie nods. "I know. I know, you're right. I just wish I had even one little thing on my list."

.

Donna worries her bottom lip as she looks over at her little midget, bravely breathing through her pain. She clears her throat and sucks up the threat of embarrassment as she opens her mouth to sing.

.

_**We've only just begun to live**__**  
**__**White lace and promises**__**  
**__**A kiss for luck and we're on our way**__**  
**__**(We've only begun)**__**Before the risin' sun, we fly**__**  
**__**So many roads to choose**__**  
**__**We'll start out walkin' and learn to run**__**  
**__**And yes, we've just begun**_

.

Jackie looks over at the redhead and starts blubbering. "That's so sweet Donna. I mean, your voice is horrible, but this is exactly what I wanted!"

.

She grabs the lumberjack's hand and cries out as she pushes through a contraction. The doctors counts her down from 10 to 1.

.

Brooke takes over the next verse.

.

_**Sharing horizons that are new to us  
Watching the signs along the way  
Talkin' it over, just the two of us  
Workin' together day to day  
Together  
Together  
**_

.

Just then, Hyde bursts through the doors of the birthing room wearing scrubs. His concerned eyes grow immediately fearful as he witnesses his wife screaming through another push as she bears down on Brooke's hand this time.

.

"Thank God!" Donna screams to the heavens as she motions for Hyde to join her at Jackie's side. "Hold her leg back like this with one hand and be prepared for her to break every one of the bones in your other hand as she pushes.

.

Jackie looks up at her husband and breathes a huge sigh of relief as tears of happiness stream down her face. She's a total mess, but he's never seen her looking more beautiful. "Puddin' you're here" she exhales softly.

.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier, doll. I'm just so glad I made it in time." he kisses her on the forehead.

.

"Better late than never" she rasps and smiles weakly at him.

.

"You're amazing" he whispers in her ear as he chokes back the urge to cry with her.

.

"Do you want us to..." Brooke motions to the door.

.

"No. Stay, please." she appeals to both ladies with her eyes. Donna moves around to the other side of Jackie and takes the midget's hand.

.

"You have another contraction coming" the doctor warns. "This could be the one" he says excitedly and starts the countdown from 10.

.

Jackie takes a huge breath and bears down, gritting her teeth as her face turns red from pushing.

.

Brooke and Donna look at each other and grin, before both launching into another verse of The Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun".

.

_**And when the evening comes, we smile  
So much of life ahead  
We'll find a place where there's room to grow  
And yes, we've just begun  
**_

.

"That was the one!" the doctor announces happily as he pulls the little girl from her mother's womb.

.

Jackie gasps for air and buries her face into Hyde's chest as they wait for the sound of their daughter's voice.

.

The baby starts crying loud and strong, prompting all family present to cry along with her.

.

Brooke and Donna hug each other dearly and weep together in happiness.

.

Hyde brushes the sticky hair from Jackie's brow then presses his forehead to hers. "You did it, baby" he laughs as he kisses her on the lips.

.

The doctor hands Hyde a pair of surgical scissors and gestures to the cord. "Daddy?"

.

"Oh my God, I can't look at that" Jackie winces as she turns her head. When she looks back over, her daughter is being brought over to her in a blanket.

.

Donna and Brooke slip out of the delivery room to leave the new family alone to bond.

.

As she peers down into her daughter's beautiful face, Jackie can't help but marvel at the long road it's taken for her to get here. It may have been a bumpy road with many twists and turns, but it only ever lead to one place, and that was here with Steven by her side.

.

She leans over and plants a soft kiss on her daughter's already chubby cheek. "Hi. I'm your mommy" she coos, and realizes at that moment that despite all of the heartache and strife they've been through together, it was all worth it. She's finally a mother, and she knows she won't be anything like her own mother. She plans to do this right.

.

Jackie hands the baby to her father, who grins widely despite the tears welling in his eyes. "I can't believe she's really here" he says, almost to himself. "How can I love her so much already when I don't even know her?" he asks, looking at his wife. He runs his fingers gently over his daughters mass of dark curls and traces her face with his finger. "She looks like you" he smiles, "lucky girl".

.

Hyde kisses his daughter's forehead and her big blue eyes flutter open to look at him, mirroring his own. His breath catches in his throat as she gazes into his uncovered eyes. He vows then and there that he'll never cover them up again. "Thank you" he says to Jackie as he kisses her with everything he's feeling inside.

.

The nurse approaches the family and places a hand on their child's head. "We have to run some tests on her" she informs them timidly. They expected as much, but it's not the easiest thing to say goodbye only minutes after saying hello. "It shouldn't be too long, and then we'll bring her right back so you can feed her."

.

As the nurse walks away with their daughter, Hyde and Jackie cling to each other for support and pray that every day ahead is as happy as the one they're living through today.

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**A/N – Hope you liked this chapter! I plan to write an epilogue where you'll find out about the baby's health, her name etc. I can't believe it's almost the end of the story! Please let me know what you thought of it by leaving a review if you have the time—and if you love this story, consider making it a 'favorite'. Thanks for reading :)**


	36. EPILOGUE

**As promised, there is a tiny bit of sMut at the end of the chapter and it's very obvious when it's about to occur—not too raunchy, but those of you who are squeamish have been warned.**

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**Hope you enjoy the epilogue. Not sure yet about doing a fic with the kids, only because a compelling storyline hasn't come to me yet. I know many of you have asked for it, so I will keep my mind open and see what happens. The epilogue was slow going for me. It's always so hard to do these future one-shots. Too much exposition to squeeze gracefully into a chapter. Hope it reads okay.**

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**Just so you know, the name Nadia means 'hope' in Russian. A nod to Ms, Mila :)**

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**EPILOGUE**

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A seven year old girl with the face of an angel and the hair of Medusa runs at top speed toward her redheaded playmate, before leaping high up into the air and tackling him to the ground with a thud.

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"Ow! I'm not even holding the stupid ball still, Nadia!" he whines as he pushes her off of him into the dirt, making her white dress filthy.

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"You never have the ball, Kirk. I was doing you a favor by including you in the game!" she sniffs as she brushes the remaining earth off of her skirt.

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She offers him a grimy hand which he ignores, choosing instead to stand up on his own while brushing himself off. "Oh sorry, I didn't realize I should be thanking you for dislocating my shoulder" he twitches as he dramatically goes through the fake process of putting it back in place.

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Nadia purses her lips and makes a face. "Ew" she says simply and walks away.

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Kitty approaches the little girl and gives her an admonishing look. "Nadia Katherine Hyde, you know very well you did that on purpose!" she frowns.

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The little imp twists one dark curl around her index finger absentmindedly and looks into the distance. "I can't help it if he's clumsy and can't hang on to a ball" she explains innocently.

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Two large hands rest on her shoulders protectively. "Give the girl a break, Kitty. She's the only one of our grandchildren with any true athletic ability."

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The matriarch folds her arms and gives her husband a blank stare. "Now you know that's not true, Red. Reggie can pitch a ball very well and Luke can...well, he's very good at chess. Anyway, it doesn't matter. She shouldn't be roughhousing with Kirk." she says flatly and then bends over to appeal to her granddaughter directly. "Honey, it's not nice to tackle kids when you know they're the sort who prefer indoor activities...you never see your daddy tackling your Uncle Eric when they play football, do you?"

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"No, but that's just because Aunt Donna is like a goalkeeper always stands in front of him like he's the endzone. Maybe she should be Kirk's goalkeeper when we play?" she suggests helpfully with wide eyes, as if she's just solved world hunger.

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Red laughs hysterically until he is cut off swiftly by his wife. "Red Forman" she hisses. "That's...an interesting suggestion Nadia, but I think maybe we should go with the original idea of just _not_ tackling him." She looks to Red for some help.

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He relents with a sigh. "Kitten, your grandma is right. Should we go over and apologize to Kirk for pushing him?"

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She tucks her curl behind her ear and starts playing with another. "Whatever" she shrugs and follows Red over to where all of the boys are playing.

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Donna and Eric are sprawled out on a blanket with Kirk as well as their nine year old son, Luke - - who is awkwardly trying to make conversation with the beautiful, auburn-tressed Jessica Kelso while she attempts to suck down a cherry popcicle in three minutes even.

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"You're telling me you never saw Terminator 2?" he asks in disbelief.

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"Is that, like a movie about bugs or something?" she wonders as she absentmindedly sucks away at her treat.

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"No. You're thinking of an_ exterminator_. The Terminator is a cyborg from the future that kills people and can change into anything he touches" he explains excitedly. "It's totally rad!"

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She shrugs, half confused/half unimpressed. "Okay, but have you seen Dumb and Dumber"?"

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Luke sighs.

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Donna gives her husband the side-eye. "How would a kid his age get to see The Terminator, Eric?"

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Eric freezes and tries to think fast. "Funny story" he fakes laughs. "We actually rented 'Beauty and the Beast' and it seems as though" he coughs trying to buy time, "that the last person who rented it accidentally switched the tapes in the boxes and we got theirs." he explains, fairly happy with what he's cooked up. "Honest mistake."

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"Then why didn't you turn it off when Arnold Schwarzenegger started shooting people?" she challenges.

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He looks at her intently for a moment and then smiles. "Have I mentioned yet today how beautiful you look?"

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She rolls her eyes at him then leans back, using him as a lounge chair. "I'll let you make it up to me tonight by cooking dinner."

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* * *

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Candace, a tan little girl with sausage curls and big brown eyes sits on a picnic blanket eating Skittles next to Reggie, a sandy-haired four year old with an afro who is rolling around hyperactively while laughing.

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Jackie, carrying her toddler clone Edie on her hip, walks over to the blanket and looks down with chagrin.

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"Reggie's been like this for the last 30 minutes" Edna frowns as she arranges a sleeping Leo's hat on top of his face to prevent him from getting a sunburn. "I tried to get him to eat an apple, but I couldn't make him stay still long enough to get it in him" she scrunches her face apologetically. "How's my little princess doing?" she makes funny expressions at her granddaughter and then squeezes her tiny foot.

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"She okay. Your son dressed her in non-matching socks this morning though, which understandably put her in a real foul mood. She was tantruming nonstop until Steven changed them for her" she laughs. "Sometimes I think she's the only one in this family besides me who knows how to dress" Jackie discloses as she straightens out her daughter's headband.

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Reggie starts doing somersaults across the grass. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" he shouts out with each roll as his baby sister laughs at his acrobatics.

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"Candy gave him candy" Fez shakes his head as he approaches them and gives the little girl a look that warns her to put the Skittles away. "I thought we found it all before we came, but she must have hidden some where we couldn't find it" he surveys the scene before glancing at Jackie apologetically. "Judging by the pitch of his laugh, my guess it you're in for another hour of this."

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She places her hand on his forearm and smiles. "No Fez, _you're_ in for another hour of this. I'm going to have a mimosa." she hands little Edie to her friend then squeezes his arm lightly and walks off toward the drinks table, leaving him dumbstruck.

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Fez carries Edie to a nearby playpen and deposits her next to his son, Phil, who is around the same age. He then leans over and kisses Angie, who is sitting on a lawn chair next to the cot reading a book.

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* * *

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Two strong arms wrap themselves around Jackie's waist as she pours herself a glass of champagne and orange juice. She leans back into her husband's chest and reaches up to pull him down for a kiss.

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"How did you know I wasn't Kelso?" Hyde asks, as he buries his mouth behind her ear to nuzzle.

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"I've logged a lot of hours being groped in the dark by you. I think I know your touch by now, Puddin' Pop" she smiles, too distracted by his little kisses to sip her drink.

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"Wanna log a few more?" he offers in a gruff voice.

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"It's Nadia's birthday. We should probably try to think about her for a little bit today" she scolds him.

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"I _am_ thinking about her. I'm trying to recreate the moment that we conceived her" he jokes.

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Jackie turns around then slides her arms around her husband's torso and pulls him close. "Don't tempt me" she warns him, eyes flashing dangerously.

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"Well, you just admitted it's working, so now I'll never stop" he smirks as he lowers his hands to rest just above her buttocks.

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"I can't believe our baby is already seven, Steven. It feels like just yesterday that we were sitting together in the hospital, not knowing if she'd be okay." she says, brow furrowing as she remembers a darker time.

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"But if you remember, I told you not to worry about it and I was right. The hole fixed itself." he gloats.

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"What about the hole in your heart, you Grinch?" she tickles him.

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"Don't start what you can't finish, Jackie" he reminds her jokingly and she drops her fingers begrudgingly with a pout.

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* * *

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Nadia grabs Kirk's small cupcake and shoves the entire thing in her mouth while she runs past her parents, followed closely by an irate Kirk. Hyde laughs and eggs her on with two thumbs up.

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"She's growing up too fast." Jackie complains with a frown.

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"We all are baby" he cups her face with both hands and kisses her.

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She tips her head from side to side. "Not...all of us" she grins as she watches Kelso wrestle with all four of his girls on the floor at the same time, a heavily pregnant Brooke looking on in amusement.

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Without warning, Hyde lifts his wife up and throws her over his shoulder as he walks purposefully through the backyard toward the exterior basement stairs of the Formans' house.

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* * *

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As he shuts the door behind him, he flips the lock and deposits Jackie on top of the deep freeze.

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She watches him run up the other set of stairs to lock that door and then strut down the stairs slowly, overly satisfied with his ability to get his way.

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She rolls her eyes at him and crosses her legs in protest.

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"Oh no you don't" he skips over the remaining stairs, uncrossed her legs and lets his weight settle between them. She smiles alluringly at him and he pulls her into a passionate embrace and kisses her deeply. "Hold that thought." he tells her as he suddenly pulls away, leaving her breathless and dizzy.

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Hyde looks quickly through his old records and nods when he finds what he's looking for. He turns on the record player and drops the needle on 'Follow You, Follow Me' by Genesis.

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_**Stay with me,**__**  
**__**My love I hope you'll always be**__**  
**__**Right here by my side if ever I needed you**__**  
**__**Oh my love**_

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"Do you remember dancing to this at the Phil Collins concert?" he asks as he pulls her down off of the deep freeze and holds her in his arms.

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"Of course I do" she blushes, amazed at his ability to get her pulse racing after so long together. "I also remember hearing it in the Camino with you in the 70's, it was released just after we started dating and you and I would always fight over the radio nob. You really hated this."

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_**In your arms,  
I feel so safe and so secure  
Everyday is such a perfect day to spend  
Alone with you**_

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He moves her back and forth while pressing himself into her. "I did, but - - hey do you remember those really hot days we had that Summer in the basement, when there was nobody around but you and me. And the heat was so unbearable that we just spent the whole day in our underwear."

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She feels him grin into her neck.

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"I liked those hot days. You were so cute without your shirt on" she purrs, biting her lip as she recalls how quickly they would always shed that last layer, like it was nothing but a pretense. She sighs at the memory as her fingers wind their way through Hyde's curls.

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"And this song came on the radio about five times that day" he laughs. "By the fifth time, it was really starting to fucking drive me batty, but then something happened to change my opinion." he dips her slightly.

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_**I will follow you will you follow me  
All the days and nights that we know will be  
I will stay with you will you stay with me  
Just one single tear in each passing year**_

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"What happened?" she asks, wondering how he's never told her this story before.

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"Well, I really started listening to the words, and then you looked up at me at just the right moment, and I realized that he was singing about us" he admits as he kisses her forehead. "And that's when I knew that I was a goner." he confesses.

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Her iris's dance. "Oh. You mean, that when you knew you looooov- - -"

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He places his hand across her mouth to keep her quiet and let's out an exasperated tut before replacing his palm with his lips.

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A familiar tingling works it's way up and down Jackie's body, spreading into her limbs and concentrating in one specific area down below. "You're being uncharacteristically romantic" she coos. "And no, I'm not complaining, I'm just noticing, okay?"

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_**With the dark,  
I see so very clearly now  
All my fears are drifting by me so slowly now  
Fading away**_

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"Shut up, Jackie. I happen to be the most romantic guy here today" he informs her cheekily, "because you know when I do something for you, I'm not just doing it because the government tells me to" he reminds her. "I'm doing it because I want to."

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She nods, agreeing with him. "That's true. But tell me, since you hate Valentine's day and anniversaries and New Year's, holidays that most normal people really love, which things make you want to be romantic?"

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He grins. "Maybe I'm only romantic when I wanna get laid" he teases.

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_**I can say  
The night is long but you are there  
Close at hand I'm better for the smile you give  
And while I live**_

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"Nah-uh" she shakes her head. "You don't have to romance me to get me in bed" she slides one hand down the back of his jeans. "You just have to get naked. In fact, it's getting pretty hot in this basement. Maybe we should strip down to our underwear?"

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Hyde raises an eyebrow in appreciation and takes his shirt off as Jackie unzips her skirt, letting it fall to the floor. She then removes her blouse, leaving on just her lacy nude bra and underwear.

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Hyde kicks off his jeans and runs his hands down her body as he checks her out. It's been around 17 years since the first time he saw her naked and it never gets old for him. "You look almost the same" he marvels as he runs his thumbs over her nipples. "Better even" he says referring to her larger breasts from nursing the baby.

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She leaps up and wraps her legs around his waist as he carries her to the deep freeze.

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_**I will follow you will you follow me  
All the days and nights that we know will be  
I will stay with you will you stay with me  
Just one single tear in each passing year there will be  
**_

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"You were saying something about what makes you feel like doing something romantic" she prompts as he slides her underwear slowly to her ankles.

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"You're really cute when you're happy" he says as he gently pulls back her curtain of hair and starts to kiss and suck the tender parts of her neck. "And I like it when you're cute" he mumbles as he slides his fingers into her core, massaging the area around it with his thumb. "So I really like to make you happy". He peppers the hollow of her neck with kisses and she feels goosebumps erupting all over body.

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Jackie's breathing heats up rapidly as she strokes him awake with her hand.

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"Am I making you happy now?" he asks as he tweaks her nipples his his free hand.

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"God yes" she gasps as he increases the speed of his fingers.

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After getting her close, he removes his hand, but before she has a moment to protest, he quickly slips inside of her.

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They both moan as they pull each other close.

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Jackie looks at her husband with her jewel-toned eyes, now clouded over by lust and kisses him tenderly as he thrusts in and out of her. She slides her fingers down his wet back, feeling his muscles as they flex with each movement.

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"What would have happened to us if we didn't find each other" she whispers in his ear as she bites down on the edge of his lobe and gently holds it in her mouth.

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"That would never have happened, doll" he assures her as his breathing becomes more ragged. "We're the only two people who can stand each other, so we would have eventually found our way together" he rationalizes, grabbing her hips tightly to pick up the pace.

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"I love you Steven" she breathes into his ear as she grabs his ass to pull him in deeper. "You're the only one" she pants. "It's so silly how we wasted so much time apart."

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"It wasn't silly, it was stupid, and mostly my fault." he says through hot breath as he feels himself getting closer. "being with you is never boring, babe, I'll give you that."

"I'm so happy you're not a dumbass anymore" she breathes as she tightens the grip her legs have around his waist.

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"I'd like to say I'm happy you're not a bitch anymore, but I'd be lying on both counts- so I think I'll just leave it at 'I'm happy'. Hyde grabs Jackie's perfect face with both hands and looks into her eyes as he thrust into her harder and harder. He stares rapt as her features crumple up in ecstasy and she calls out his name, taking him immediately over the edge with her as he empties himself into her with a groan.

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Both out of breath, they say nothing as their heart rates return to normal.

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"Wanna hear somethig really romantic? I'm pretty positive I'd be pumping gas or in jail or even dead if I never met you." he smiles crookedly at her.

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"Are you telling me I saved your life? Am I your hero, Steven?" she asks, half-seriously.

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He brushes a curls out of her face and tucks it behind her ear. "You're a regular Foxxy Brown, baby" he laughs. "I have the three best kids anyone could have and a job I love, and none of it would have happened without you there, nagging the shit out of me to do the right thing and live up to my 'potential'" he air quotes with bemusement. "Take from that what you will."

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She rests her head on his chest and enjoys the skin-to-skin contact. "Potential doesn't need air quotes, you dip - that's only if you're using the word ironically. You actually _do_ have tons of potential." she insists ardently.

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"Maybe I can try to live up to some of that potential later on when we get home" he smirks as she kisses his chest. "But first...we should probably help our little girl blow out those birthday candles.

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"What do you think she'll wish for?" Jackie wonders a sly smile spreading across her face.

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Hyde shrugs. "That wish is just gravy. She has everything she wants and needs already."

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His wife runs her fingers down the sides of his face and looks at him pensively. "She does, doesn't she?"

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_**I will follow you, I will follow you**_

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THE END!

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**A/N – I can't believe it's finally over! Hope you liked meeting the little Hyde/Jackie hybrid. Most fics seem to make the kid take after one or the other, but I thought a prissy/pouty badass would be pretty funny to see. I also thought it might be cute to turn Kirk and Nadia into a mini D/E. Thank you all so much for reading this fic. I really means a lot to me that so many of you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought :)**

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**Not sure what's next, but I'm leaning towards an AU multi-chapter song-fic that takes place when Sam rides into town. It won't be the usual take on the storyline, so if it works, it will be very unique but if it doesn't, it will be a hot mess! I'll give you a little hint on the song/chapter titles—the main title of the fic is going to be "Stop Making Sense". Those of you over 35 should get this!**


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